Archiwum
- Index
- James Fenimore Cooper Oak Openings (PG) (v1.0) [txt]
- James Alan Gardner [League Of Peoples 02] Commitment Hour
- James Alan Gardner [League Of Peoples 07] Radiant
- 052. Darcy Emma James Family 01 Rozbitkowie
- James Axler Deathlands 051 Rat King
- James Fenimore Cooper Jack Tier, Volume 2
- James Axler Earthblood 02 Deep Trek
- James Axler Deathlands 065 Hellbenders
- 063. James Julia Prywatna wyspa
- Kleypas Lisa Vallerand 2 Only With Your Love
- zanotowane.pl
- doc.pisz.pl
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- aeie.pev.pl
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with calm, thoughtful eyes. Finally, bringing up the rear was another tall
figure with a dark mustache, looking stiffer and more archaically attired than
Eden, frowning suspiciously from side to side as the party entered. The
corners of Bannering's mouth twitched upward, and he gave Scholder a quick,
satisfied nod. The technical expert was Lindemann.
Bannering and Scholder set down their glasses, rose, and moved forward on
either side of
Winslade to greet their guests.
CHAPTER 5
THE WAITERS FINISHED CLEARING away the dishes and departed, leaving a hot
plate with two fresh pots of coffee on a side-table. Winslade excused the
bartender and accompanied him to the door, turning the key in the lock after
the bartender had left. Then, instead of returning to his chair, Winslade
clasped his hands behind his back and began pacing slowly by the windows along
one side of the room.
Page 27
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The talk over lunch had been primarily social, to establish a conversational
familiarity between the two groups. Despite their puzzlement and curiosity,
the guests had refrained from pressing questions in the presence of the hotel
staff; now, however, the time had arrived for more serious business. Churchill
lit a cigar and sat back in his chair to follow Winslade curiously with his
eyes. The room became very quiet.
"Mr. Churchill," Winslade began without looking around as he continued pacing,
"I
understand that among other things, you enjoy reading the works of H.G.
Wells."
"That's true," Churchill agreed. He stared moodily at his brandy glass and
snorted. "I
have to admit that for the last few years I've had ample time for more
leisurely pursuits. Yes, Mr. Winslade, I enjoy Wells's speculations and
prophecies. The ability to foretell the future is an art much admired and,
with mixed results, attempted by politicians also. The politician,
file:///F|/rah/James%20P.%20Hogan/Hogan,%20James%20P%20-%20The%20Proteus%20Ope
ration.txt (24 of 203) [2/4/03 10:58:30 PM]
file:///F|/rah/James%20P.%20Hogan/Hogan,%20James%20P%20-%20The%20Proteus%20Ope
ration.txt however, must also be able to explain afterwards why his
predictions didn't come true. But why, pray, do you raise the subject?"
Winslade replied obliquely. "How about his novel The Time Machine? Have you
managed to include that in your readings? If so, what did you think of it? Was
the premise plausible, do you imagine, or too farfetched to take seriously?"
Churchill sipped slowly from his glass and frowned. Lindemann stiffened
visibly in his seat, his mouth clamped tight, while Eden and Duff Cooper
exchanged wondering looks. It was clear in that brief instant that such a
possibility had already occurred to them. That was as Winslade had intended.
He had allowed several days for the notion to sink in and for its impact to
dissipate before the meeting. Doing it that way minimized the risk of having
to waste half the afternoon convincing an audience too overcome by incredulity
to be receptive.
Winslade wheeled around to face the table and brought his hands up to rest on
the back of an empty chair. "I trust we have already satisfied you that we are
genuine, and that in any case we're not the kind of people who would attempt a
foolish hoax," he said. His expression was earnest. The jovial manner that he
had maintained through lunch had gone. "To avoid taxing your patience further,
gentlemen -- yes, we have come here from a future age. To be precise, we have
traveled back from the United States of the year 1975."
Stupefied looks greeted his words. He went on, "By that year the world of the
Western democracies has been reduced to North America, Australia, and New
Zealand. The totalitarian systems that you see rising today have subjugated
the whole of Europe, Asia, and Africa, in over thirty years of ferociousness
and brutality aimed at world domination. The South American states are already
committed to similar ideologies. What is left of the West faces a final
conflict that will be waged by weapons of destructive power that few people in
1939 are capable of imagining.
The odds against the West are overwhelming. It cannot hope to survive. All it
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