"L. Sprague De Camp - The Stolen Dormouse" - читать интересную книгу автора (De Camp L Sprague)

A DUELLING stick, whose weight is regulated by the conventions, is no match for a three-foot
nightstick. When the clatter had died down, and the physicians were doing emergency repairs on
assorted skulls, collar bones, and so forth, the chief of police summoned the chairmen of the
rival houses.
Billiam Bickham-Smith of Stromberg and Archwin TaylorThing of Crosley appeared, glaring.
тАЬAw right,тАЭ said the chief. тАЬI warned you тАШbout this here feudinтАЩ. I said, the next time
theyтАЩs a scrap in a public place, IтАЩd close up your show. I wouldnтАЩt say a word if youтАЩd fight
your duels out in the hills somewhere. But I got to proteck the innocent bystanders.тАЭ
The chief of police was a small, sallow man. He wore the blue tunic of officialdom, with a
shield bearing the motto of the Corporate State: Alle was nicht Pflicht ist, ist verbotenтАФтАЭA1l
that is not compulsory is forbidden.тАЭ His trouser legs were gayly colored, in different patterns:
one that of the American Empire, the other that of Los Angeles, the capital.
Archwin of Crosley looked through the head of the rival house as though Billiam of


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Stromberg were not there. He said to the chief: тАЬYou canтАЩt expect my men to submit to unprovoked
assault. Unprovoked assault.тАЭ
тАЬUnprovoked!тАЭ snorted Billiam of Stromberg. тАЬMy lord chief, IтАЩve got all the witnesses you
want that eggheadтАЩs men struck first.тАЭ
тАЬWhat?тАЭ yelled Archwin of Crosley. тАЬWhereтАЩs my stick?тАЭ
Whereas, Billiam of Stromberg had a beautiful head of silky white hair, Archwin of Crosley
had no hair at all. He was sensitive to references to this fact.
тАЬWonтАЩt do you no good to start a fight here,тАЭ said the chief. тАЬIтАЩm going to close you up.
I represent the plain citizens of Los Angeles, and we donтАЩt want no feudinтАЩ in the city limits.
The Imperial Board of Control will back me up, too.тАЭ
тАЬVulgar rabble,тАЭ muttered Billiam of Stromberg.
тАЬHave to travel all day to get out of the limits of this city,тАЭ growled Archwin of
Crosley.
The chairmen subsided, looking unhappy. They did not want the Exposition closed; neither,
really, did the chief of police. Aside from the dangers of antagonizing two of the noblest clans
of the American Empire, there was the loss of business.
He let them think for half a minute, then said: тАЬCourse, if youтАЩd agree to discipline your
men hard enough next time thereтАЩs a fight, maybe we could let the show go on.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩll go as far as that old goat will,тАЭ said Archwin of Crosley. тАЬWhatтАЩs your plan?тАЭ asked
Billiam of Stromberg, controlling himself with visible effort.
тАЬThis,тАЭ said the chief. тАЬAny man who gets in a scrap gets degraded, if he belongs to one
of the orders, and read out of his company.тАЭ
The chairmen looked startled. This was drastic. Billiam Bickham-Smith asked: тАЬEven if heтАЩs
of the rank of executive?тАЭ
тАЬEven if heтАЩs of the rank of entrepreneur.тАЭ
тАЬWhew!тАЭ That was little short of sacrilege.
Archwin of Crosley asked: тАЬEven if heтАЩs the innocent party?тАЭ
тАЬEven if heтАЩs the innocent party. тАШCount of both of тАШem would claim they was innocent, and
the only thing we could do would be give тАШem a trial by liedetector, and everybody knows how to
beat the liedetector nowadays. Do you agree on your honor as an entrepreneur, Lord Archwin?тАЭ
тАЬI agree.тАЭ