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other universes just happening to project something here-without anything
acting as some kind of 'beacon' to attract it?"
"Oh." Scholder shrugged. "For one of them to just happen to hit this universe
out of all the ones that exist in the branching system? Well, let's just say
that accidentally finding a needle in a haystack would be a dead certainty by
comparison." He shook his head. "The chances are next to nothing. That's why
it doesn't happen every week."
Churchill glanced at the other leaders and nodded decisively, as if that was
what he had been waiting to hear. It was clear suddenly that they had
discussed the subject thoroughly beforehand. "Get rid of it," he said.
Page 244
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The Proteus people looked at each other, but none of them could pretend to be
surprised.
They had been asking the same question, too. Nobody tried to argue. This was
clearly one question that Churchill and Roosevelt had already made up their
minds about.
Accordingly, instructions were drawn up for the Gatehouse machine to be
quietly and secretly dismantled, and for the pieces to be destroyed and
dropped in the ocean; the design information and assembly drawings would be
burned, and all references to the Proteus mission expunged from the official
and private records of everyone who had been involved. Gatehouse would become
once again just another warehouse on the waterfront in Brooklyn.
For considering what had been inflicted on it, the world wasn't doing too bad
a job at all of getting itself back into shape. Other universes had interfered
enough.
CHAPTER
54
NOTHING SEEMED TO HAVE changed very much when Ferracini and Cassidy came in
through the door and went downstairs to the corridor that led past Max's
office. The double doors leading into the club had been revarnished; the
glittery wallpaper on either side was the same, and should have been changed.
There was a new hatcheck girl.
"Say, what's a girl like you doing in a nice place like this?" Cassidy asked
cheerfully as he handed his coat across the counter.
The hatcheck girl began switching on an automatic bored look; then she
stopped, puzzled, and frowned. "Did I hear that right?"
"Who cares? Hi, I'm Cassidy. Who are you?"
"Lisa. I -- "
"It isn't!" a voice exclaimed from a short distance behind them. "It can't be.
But, my
God, it is-Cassidy!"
"Hey, Max, you old rascal!" Cassidy roared. Max came out of the office,
beaming beneath his high, tanned forehead and crinkly hair, and they shook
hands. "So, how've you been, Max? I
just said to Harry here a second ago that...say, that's strange.
Where the hell did he go?"
But Ferracini had heard the voice singing inside the club.
He stood watching her in the spotlight for a long time from
202
just inside the door She was wearing her hair tied up and high rather than the
loose and wavy way he preferred it, but it looked good for her job; the button
chin, high cheeks, and turned-
up nose were just the way he remembered. She was wearing a sequined gold and
tangerine dress.
George had gone. There was a different piano player now, an older man with a
benign-
looking face and a ragged white mustache. He reminded Ferracini of Einstein in
a vague kind of way. The place was busy, but most of the faces were strange.
It was full of uniforms now. Lou, looking as inscrutable as ever, was still
tending the bar in a black vest and white shirt with the cuffs turned back.
Pearl was on a stool at one end, and Sid sat with some people at one of the
tables.
"How the hell are you ever gonna enjoy life, Harry, if you keep falling in
love all the time?" Cassidy said joining him.
Ferracini grinned. "Worth coming home to though, huh, Cass?" He saw that Max
was there, too. "Hey, Max! How are things? Say, you're looking just great!"
"You, too, Harry. Things? Oh..." Max waved a hand. "The war may be bad for
some, but it's
file:///F|/rah/James%20P.%20Hogan/Hogan,%20James%20P%20-%20The%20Proteus%20Ope
ration.txt (198 of 203) [2/4/03 10:58:33 PM]
Page 245
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zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
other universes just happening to project something here-without anything
acting as some kind of 'beacon' to attract it?"
"Oh." Scholder shrugged. "For one of them to just happen to hit this universe
out of all the ones that exist in the branching system? Well, let's just say
that accidentally finding a needle in a haystack would be a dead certainty by
comparison." He shook his head. "The chances are next to nothing. That's why
it doesn't happen every week."
Churchill glanced at the other leaders and nodded decisively, as if that was
what he had been waiting to hear. It was clear suddenly that they had
discussed the subject thoroughly beforehand. "Get rid of it," he said.
Page 244
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
The Proteus people looked at each other, but none of them could pretend to be
surprised.
They had been asking the same question, too. Nobody tried to argue. This was
clearly one question that Churchill and Roosevelt had already made up their
minds about.
Accordingly, instructions were drawn up for the Gatehouse machine to be
quietly and secretly dismantled, and for the pieces to be destroyed and
dropped in the ocean; the design information and assembly drawings would be
burned, and all references to the Proteus mission expunged from the official
and private records of everyone who had been involved. Gatehouse would become
once again just another warehouse on the waterfront in Brooklyn.
For considering what had been inflicted on it, the world wasn't doing too bad
a job at all of getting itself back into shape. Other universes had interfered
enough.
CHAPTER
54
NOTHING SEEMED TO HAVE changed very much when Ferracini and Cassidy came in
through the door and went downstairs to the corridor that led past Max's
office. The double doors leading into the club had been revarnished; the
glittery wallpaper on either side was the same, and should have been changed.
There was a new hatcheck girl.
"Say, what's a girl like you doing in a nice place like this?" Cassidy asked
cheerfully as he handed his coat across the counter.
The hatcheck girl began switching on an automatic bored look; then she
stopped, puzzled, and frowned. "Did I hear that right?"
"Who cares? Hi, I'm Cassidy. Who are you?"
"Lisa. I -- "
"It isn't!" a voice exclaimed from a short distance behind them. "It can't be.
But, my
God, it is-Cassidy!"
"Hey, Max, you old rascal!" Cassidy roared. Max came out of the office,
beaming beneath his high, tanned forehead and crinkly hair, and they shook
hands. "So, how've you been, Max? I
just said to Harry here a second ago that...say, that's strange.
Where the hell did he go?"
But Ferracini had heard the voice singing inside the club.
He stood watching her in the spotlight for a long time from
202
just inside the door She was wearing her hair tied up and high rather than the
loose and wavy way he preferred it, but it looked good for her job; the button
chin, high cheeks, and turned-
up nose were just the way he remembered. She was wearing a sequined gold and
tangerine dress.
George had gone. There was a different piano player now, an older man with a
benign-
looking face and a ragged white mustache. He reminded Ferracini of Einstein in
a vague kind of way. The place was busy, but most of the faces were strange.
It was full of uniforms now. Lou, looking as inscrutable as ever, was still
tending the bar in a black vest and white shirt with the cuffs turned back.
Pearl was on a stool at one end, and Sid sat with some people at one of the
tables.
"How the hell are you ever gonna enjoy life, Harry, if you keep falling in
love all the time?" Cassidy said joining him.
Ferracini grinned. "Worth coming home to though, huh, Cass?" He saw that Max
was there, too. "Hey, Max! How are things? Say, you're looking just great!"
"You, too, Harry. Things? Oh..." Max waved a hand. "The war may be bad for
some, but it's
file:///F|/rah/James%20P.%20Hogan/Hogan,%20James%20P%20-%20The%20Proteus%20Ope
ration.txt (198 of 203) [2/4/03 10:58:33 PM]
Page 245
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
file:///F|/rah/James%20P.%20Hogan/Hogan,%20James%20P%20-%20The%20Proteus%20Ope [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]