"Alfred Bester - Galatea Galante" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bester Alfred)

GERMINAL
Day 1: One hundred milliliter Florence flask. Day 2: Five hundred milliliter Florence flask. Day 3: One thousand milliliter Florence flask. Day 4: Five thousand milliliter Florence flask. Day 5: Decanted.
(E & A charging too damn much for flasks!!!)
(Baby nominal. Charles enchanted with her. Too red for my taste. Poured out of the amnion blowing bubbles and talking. Couldn't shut her up. Just another fresh kid with a damn big mouth.)
"Reg, Gally must have a nurse."
"For heaven's sake, Charles! She'll be a year old next week."
"She must have someone to look after her."
"All right. All right. Igor. She can sleep in his room."
"No, no, no. He's a dear creature, but hardly my idea of a nursemaid."
"I can convince him he made her. He'll be devoted."
"No good, Reg; he isn't child oriented"
"You want someone child oriented? Hmmm. Ah, yes. Got just the right number for you. I generated The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe for the Positively Peerless Imitation Plastic company to use in their genuine plastics sales promotion."
"'She had so many children she didn't know what to do'?"
"The same." Manwright punched the CB keyboard. "Seanbhean? This is Regis."
The screen sparkled and cleared. A gypsy crone appeared with begging hand outstretched for alms.
"How's everything going, Seanbhean?"
"Scanruil aduafar, Regis."
лWhy?╗
"Briseadh ina ghno e."
"What! PPIP gone bankrupt? That's shocking. So you're out of a job?"
"Deanfaidh sin!"
"Well perhaps I have something for you, Seanbhean. I've just generated-"
"Cut off, Reg," Corque broke in sharply.
Manwright was so startled by Corque's tone that he obeyed and looked up perplexedly. "Don't think she'll do, Charles?"
"That old hag? Out of the question."
"She isn't old," Manwright protested. "She's under thirty.


I made her look like that according to the specs: Seventyyear-old Irish gypsy. they call 'em `tinkers' in Ireland. Speaks Irish and can handle kid actors who are a pain in the ass. And I delivered, by God."
"As you always do; but still out of the question. Please try someone else."
"Charles, has that damn infant got you enthralled?"
"No."
"Her first conquest, and she's just out of the flask! Can you imagine what she'll do to men in another twenty weeks? Be at each other's throats. Fighting duels. Ha! I am a genius, and I don't deny it."
"We need a nurse for Gally, Reg."
"Nag, nag, nag."
"Someone warm and comforting after the child has endured a session with you."
"I can't think what the man is implying. All right, cradlesnatcher, all right. I'll call Claudia." Manwright punched the CB. "She's warm and maternal and protective. Wish she'd been my nanny. Hello? Claudia? It's Regis. Switch on, darling." The screen sparkled and cleared. The magnificent head and face of a black mountain gorilla appeared.
"!!" she grunted.
"I'm sorry, love. Been too busy to call. You're looking well. How's that no-good husband of yours?"
"And the kids?"
.6!ti╗
"Splendid. Now don't forget. You promised to send them to me so I can surgify them into understanding our kind of speech. Same like you, love, and no charge. And speaking of kids, I've got a new one, a girl, that I'd like you to-"
At this point the stunned Corque collected himself enough to press the cutoff stud. Claudia faded.
"Are you mad?" he demanded.
Manwright was bewildered. "What's wrong, Charles?"
"You suggest that terrifying beast for the child's nurse?"
"Beast! She's an angel of mother love. She'll have the kid climbing all over her, hugging and kissing her. It's interesting," he reflected, "I can manipulate the cognition centers, but I can't overcome muscular limitations. I gave Claudia college-level comprehension of spoken and written communications, but I couldn't give her human speech. She's still forced to use Mountain, which is hardly a language of ideas. Damn frustrating. For both of us."
"And you actually want her to mother Gally?"
"Of course. Why not?"
"Your Claudia will frighten the daylights out of the infant."