JК
The Stars My Destination ( Tiger! Tiger! ) :: Bester Alfred
Страница: 91 из 164D'you know the co-ordinates of the Aussie Cannery? The company town?»
«I don't want any part of your 'Vorga' revenge. I'm searching for my family.»
«This is a combined operation . . . every way,» he said with such detached savagery that she winced and at once jaunted. When Foyle arrived in his tent in the Four Mile Circus on Jervis Beach, she was already changing into travel clothes. Foyle looked at her. Although he forced her to live in his tent for security reasons, he had never touched her again. Robin caught his glance, stopped changing and waited.
He shook his head. «That's all finished.»
«How interesting. You've given up rape?»
«Get dressed,» he said, controlling himself. «Tell them they've got two hours to get the camp up to Shanghai.»
It was twelve-thirty when Foyle and Robin arrived at the front office of the Aussie Cannery company town. They applied for identification tags and were greeted by the mayor himself.
«Happy New Year,» he caroled. «Happy! Happy! Happy! Visiting? A pleasure to drive you around. Permit me.» He bundled them into a lush helicopter and took off. «Lots of visitors tonight. Ours is a friendly town. Friendliest company town in the world.» The plane circled giant buildings. «That's our ice palace . . . Swimming baths on the left . . . Big dome is the ski jump. Snow all year 'round . . . Tropical gardens under that glass roof. Palms, parrots, orchids, fruit. There's our market . . . theater got our own broadcasting company, too. 3D-5S. Take a look at the football stadium. Two of our boys made All-American this year. Turner at Right Rockne and Otis at Left Thorpe.»
«Do tell,» Foyle murmured.
«Yessir, we've got everything. Everything. You don't have to jaunte around the world looking for fun. Aussie Cannery brings the world to you. Our town's a little universe. Happiest little universe in the world.»
«Having absentee problems, I see.»
The mayor refused to falter in his sales pitch. «Look down at the streets. See those bikes? Motorcycles? Cars? We can afford more luxury transportation per capita than any other town on earth. Look at those homes. Mansions. Our people are rich and happy. We keep 'em rich and happy.»
«But do you keep them?»
«What d'you mean? Of course we…”
«You can tell us the truth. We're not job prospects. Do you keep them?»
«We can't keep 'em more than six months,» the mayor groaned. «It's a hell of a headache. We give 'em everything but we can't hold on to 'em. They get the wanderlust and jaunte. Absenteeism's cut our production by 12 per cent. We can't hold on to steady labor.
«I don't want any part of your 'Vorga' revenge. I'm searching for my family.»
«This is a combined operation . . . every way,» he said with such detached savagery that she winced and at once jaunted. When Foyle arrived in his tent in the Four Mile Circus on Jervis Beach, she was already changing into travel clothes. Foyle looked at her. Although he forced her to live in his tent for security reasons, he had never touched her again. Robin caught his glance, stopped changing and waited.
He shook his head. «That's all finished.»
«How interesting. You've given up rape?»
«Get dressed,» he said, controlling himself. «Tell them they've got two hours to get the camp up to Shanghai.»
It was twelve-thirty when Foyle and Robin arrived at the front office of the Aussie Cannery company town. They applied for identification tags and were greeted by the mayor himself.
«Happy New Year,» he caroled. «Happy! Happy! Happy! Visiting? A pleasure to drive you around. Permit me.» He bundled them into a lush helicopter and took off. «Lots of visitors tonight. Ours is a friendly town. Friendliest company town in the world.» The plane circled giant buildings. «That's our ice palace . . . Swimming baths on the left . . . Big dome is the ski jump. Snow all year 'round . . . Tropical gardens under that glass roof. Palms, parrots, orchids, fruit. There's our market . . . theater got our own broadcasting company, too. 3D-5S. Take a look at the football stadium. Two of our boys made All-American this year. Turner at Right Rockne and Otis at Left Thorpe.»
«Do tell,» Foyle murmured.
«Yessir, we've got everything. Everything. You don't have to jaunte around the world looking for fun. Aussie Cannery brings the world to you. Our town's a little universe. Happiest little universe in the world.»
«Having absentee problems, I see.»
The mayor refused to falter in his sales pitch. «Look down at the streets. See those bikes? Motorcycles? Cars? We can afford more luxury transportation per capita than any other town on earth. Look at those homes. Mansions. Our people are rich and happy. We keep 'em rich and happy.»
«But do you keep them?»
«What d'you mean? Of course we…”
«You can tell us the truth. We're not job prospects. Do you keep them?»
«We can't keep 'em more than six months,» the mayor groaned. «It's a hell of a headache. We give 'em everything but we can't hold on to 'em. They get the wanderlust and jaunte. Absenteeism's cut our production by 12 per cent. We can't hold on to steady labor.