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Are You Afraid Of The Dark :: Sheldon Sidney
Страница: 160 из 173Just imaginewhat would happen to Portugal if it continued to rain until the agricultural valley was drowned out." Tanner pressed a button, and on a huge screen appeared a picture of a massive pink palace with ceremonial guards standing watch while its lush, beautiful gardens glimmered in the bright sunlight.
"That's the presidential palace." The picture switched to a dining room inside, where a family was having breakfast.
"That's the president of Portugal and his wife and two children. When they speak, it's going to be in Portuguese, but you'll hear it in English. I have dozens of nano-cameras and microphones set up in the palace. The president doesn't know it, but his head security guard works for me." An aide was saying to the president, "At eleven o'clock this morning, you have a meeting at the embassy, followed by a labor union speech. At one p.m., luncheon at the museum.
This evening, we're having a state reception for-" The phone rang at the breakfast table. The president picked it up. "Hello." Then Tanner's voice, instantaneously translated from English to Portuguese as he spoke, said "Mr. President?" The president looked startled. "Who is this?" he asked as his voice was immediately translated from Portuguese to English for Tanner.
"I'm a friend." "Who-how did you get my private number?" "That's not important. I want you to listen very carefully. I love your country, and I would not want to see it destroyed. If you don't want terrible storms to wipe it off the map, you must send me two billion dollars in gold. If you're not interested now, I'll call you back in three days." On the screen, they watched the president slam the phone down. He said to his wife, "Some crazy man got my phone number. Sounds like he escaped from an asylum." Tanner turned to Pauline. "That was recorded three days ago. Now let me show you the conversation we had yesterday." A picture of the massive pink palace and its beautiful gardens flashed on again, but this time heavy rains were pouring down, and the sky was ablaze with thunder and lightning.
Tanner pressed a button, and the scene on television moved into the president's office. He was seated at a conference table, with half a dozen assistants all talking at once. The president's face was grim.
The telephone on his desk rang.
"Now." Tanner grinned.
The president picked up the telephone apprehensively. "Hello." "Good morning, Mr. President. How-?" "You are destroying my country! You have ruined the crops. The fields are flooded. The villages are being-" He stopped and took a deep breath.
"That's the presidential palace." The picture switched to a dining room inside, where a family was having breakfast.
"That's the president of Portugal and his wife and two children. When they speak, it's going to be in Portuguese, but you'll hear it in English. I have dozens of nano-cameras and microphones set up in the palace. The president doesn't know it, but his head security guard works for me." An aide was saying to the president, "At eleven o'clock this morning, you have a meeting at the embassy, followed by a labor union speech. At one p.m., luncheon at the museum.
This evening, we're having a state reception for-" The phone rang at the breakfast table. The president picked it up. "Hello." Then Tanner's voice, instantaneously translated from English to Portuguese as he spoke, said "Mr. President?" The president looked startled. "Who is this?" he asked as his voice was immediately translated from Portuguese to English for Tanner.
"I'm a friend." "Who-how did you get my private number?" "That's not important. I want you to listen very carefully. I love your country, and I would not want to see it destroyed. If you don't want terrible storms to wipe it off the map, you must send me two billion dollars in gold. If you're not interested now, I'll call you back in three days." On the screen, they watched the president slam the phone down. He said to his wife, "Some crazy man got my phone number. Sounds like he escaped from an asylum." Tanner turned to Pauline. "That was recorded three days ago. Now let me show you the conversation we had yesterday." A picture of the massive pink palace and its beautiful gardens flashed on again, but this time heavy rains were pouring down, and the sky was ablaze with thunder and lightning.
Tanner pressed a button, and the scene on television moved into the president's office. He was seated at a conference table, with half a dozen assistants all talking at once. The president's face was grim.
The telephone on his desk rang.
"Now." Tanner grinned.
The president picked up the telephone apprehensively. "Hello." "Good morning, Mr. President. How-?" "You are destroying my country! You have ruined the crops. The fields are flooded. The villages are being-" He stopped and took a deep breath.