"L. Sprague De Camp - The Hostage of Zir" - читать интересную книгу автора (De Camp L Sprague)

"I know. I suppose I didn't fight very hard because in all the science-fiction
novels I read as a kid, the hero goes to some distant planet, has thrilling
adventures, and marries a beautiful native princess. One fellow, Otis Burroughs

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or some such name, wrote a lot of stories like thatтАж But none of these old
romancers tells about the practical difficulties."

"Who vants to read a story about practical difficulties? Vell, have you had any
guiding experience?"

"Some local guiding around historic Philadelphia, and one little Latin American
tour. That didn't turn out very well. One couple got lost in Bogota and weren't
found for days. Another man, taking a picture at Machu Picchu, backed off a
cliff and was killed."

"Those things happen. But let us get to business. Do you ride? Sail? Fence?
Shoot the bow? Have you had military experience?"

Reith shook his head. "None of these things. If somebody had told me a year ago
that I'd need these medieval skills, I might have done something about it As it is,
I'm just an ex-schoolteacher and office managerтАФa paper-shufflerтАФwho plays a
little golf and was put here by happenstance."

Heggstad sighed. "Ah, vell, in a year I could maybe make a real man of you. In a
mere fifteen daysтАФbut ve shall see. Firsht, see how many times you can chin
yourshelf on that bar.

Later, Reith sat in the Nova Torque Bar, trying out kvad, the local tipple. With
him was Castanhoso. Reith groaned. "After a day with that Norse physical-
culture fanatic, I haven't been so stiff and sore in my life."

"Sinto muito. But I, too, have had troubles. That Schwerin! Every time it is time
to go, he is off somewhere, taking one more photo. And I think the Senhora

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Mulroy would strike up an intrigue with any big Krishnan male she sees, if she
could get him alone for ten minutes."

"That nympho!" said Reith. "She kept us busy on the Goyaz. First meтАФan
education, you might say. Then we quarreled when I stopped her from smoking a
cigarette. So she took up with Afonso, the steward. Maybe you noticed Afonso
looking a little pale and wan."