Тайный агент Ника

- We were assigned to write a story about what we want to be.

- And what do you want to be? - полюбопытствовала женщина.

Нике стало необычайно интересно, кем же он хочет стать, и она любопытно повернула к нему голову, сканируя своим пристальным взглядом.

- I want to be a journalist. As my Mama.

- Journalist?! Very nice! So your story?

Учительница, подобно Нике, изобразила на лице свой искренний интерес.

Миша аккуратно взял с угла парты свою тетрадь и раскрыл. Внутри было написано его сочинение. Он начал читать:

- I want to be a journalist because it is a very good and interesting profession. I like the work of a journalist very much. Journalists gather different information about our life and current events. They tell us much of interesting and useful information. We find out from them about our government, about business and economy, about crashes and wars in different regions of the world. I see a grate interest of my Mama to the work of a journalist and it is very interesting for me too. Journalists very often visit other countries, places where the History is being made and see famous people. So I want to be a journalist.

- Excellent! - похвалила его учительница. Миша застенчиво сдавил наползающую на лицо улыбку. - So you want to be a journalist. A journalist like your Mama. O.K.! And could you tell us please what do your Mama work on at the present time?

- You mean on what subject? - переспросил Миша.

- Yes, I do.

Миша призадумался, потом сказал:

- She works on some new subject. I don't know exactly about what is that subject but I'm sure it is very serious.

- Very serious?! - вклинилась Татьяна Николаевна. - Very interesting!

- Not very, I think. The matter is in a death of a man not long ago.

- A death of a man?! - насторожилась учительница. - What are you talking about?

- There was an accident not long ago. The result was two dead men. One of them was a colleague of my Mama, a journalist from her newspaper. Mama said they died of gas poisoning. Everything showed an accident. But my Mom doesn't think so. She thinks that men were killed. She says he was killed because he worked on some subject that had connection to a state secret. Unfortunately, I can't remember details.

Ника почти с умилением слушала как Миша говорит по-английски. Он говорил довольно резво и почти свободно. Чувствовалось хорошее произношение. Предыдущие два разгильдяя не шли с ним ни в какое сравнение. Нике просто хотелось заткнуть уши, когда они говорили. А Миша говорил весьма неплохо и с таким хорошим знанием английского годился в журналисты хоть сейчас.

- The Time of Troubles, - констатировала учительница с тяжелым вздохом. - And your Mama now works on this subject?

- Yes. That man, a journalist of her newspaper, was her good friend. She says the circumstances of his death are very strange. So my Mama wants to get to know the truth.

- It is a matter of a great interest if it really has some connection with a state secret. But doesn't your Mama fear if there's really a state secret?! If there's really a state secret this matter might be very dangerous! - заметила учительница.

Миша призадумался. Он понял, на что намекает Татьяна Константиновна и в его глазах мелькнула тревожная искорка.

- Maybe. But my Mama wants to know the truth. And if she wants to know the truth, nothing can stop her.

Учительница задумчиво помолчала, потом продолжила:

- The example of the journalist from the newspaper where your Mama works eloquently shows that this work is not safe. The work of a journalist is really dangerous. It is connected with life danger. If you want to be a journalist, you probably know how many journalists are killed in places of wars and armed conflicts. And how many journalists are killed in peace conditions only for their striving for knowledge of some secret subjects!

- Yes, you're right. But this danger gives additional interest to the work of a journalist. They risk their lives for people. They want people to know the truth. Journalists make a job of a great need. And I want to give people the truth too. It is a great happiness to do something useful for people.

- Very nice! - улыбнулась учительница. - Inwardly, you're very brave boy. I am sure you can become a good journalist and if you study well, you'll become who you want. I am sure.

Миша скромно улыбнулся в ответ на похвалу.

- O.K., Misha. Excellent. Your mark is five. - Татьяна Константиновна поставила ему пятерку в журнал. - By the way, I'll try to read articles of your Mama on this subject. You made me really interested... Well, now let's continue. Who wants else? Who wants to tell us about his or her future profession?

К потолку взметнулся лес рук. Учительница да и Миша тоже с удивлением обнаружили, что Ника тоже хочет ответить.

- Nika, you?! Do you want to answer?! - удивилась учительница.

- Yeah! I wanna answer! - подтвердила Ника. - An' is it impossible?

- What?! - переспросила учительница, не успев за ее резвыми словами, звучавшими необычно.

- I want to answer, - повторила Ника.