"Frankowski, Leo - Stargard 1 - The Cross Time Engineer" - читать интересную книгу автора (Frankowski Leo)

УLiving off the land in prehistoric Africa?Ф She shuddered.

УRight. Now, I donТt see where you have a legitimate bitch. You volunteered for an open assignment and lucked out to the extent of indoor plumbing. You wanted a short assignment, and this one is only twenty-four years long. It obviously requires that your body match that of your predecessor, and the job fits nicely with your doctorate in Slavic languages.Ф

УI got that when I was trying for a slot in the court of Casimir the Great.Ф

He threw his hands up. УDamn it, young lady! IsnТt it about time you grew up? We are out here writing the definitive history of mankind! The glory spots are few and far between. Most of it is plain, dirty grunt work, doing a mundane job well. And right now, your job involves serving drinks to a drunken tourist.Ф He tapped a few places on his desk, and the display changed. УHis drink is getting low. You'd better get back out there. I see that you haven't loaded the capsule yet.Ф

УLoaded what capsule?Ф

УYou didnТt read your duty sheet? Damn, but you're inefficient! We are scheduled to ship nine tons of barley to the thirteenth century at 0227 tonight. You are to load it into the capsule.Ф

УSo now IТm a stevedore as well as a bar wench?Ф

УYou think filling out government forms is a more pleasant occupation? Get out of here and get your ass to work!Ф

She stomped out, and he returned to his stack of forms. What on Earth do they do with all of these things? They canТt possibly have time to read them all. What is the psychology of it? Hmm-'The Psychology of Governmental Forms in Twentieth-Century Eastern Europe'Е There's a paper in that!Е

Chastised, the waitress went about her duties in a black humor. She swore bitterly as she manhandled sacks of grain onto a primitive lift truck, too angry to notice that the slots in the wooden skids under the sacks matched the forks on the truck. УDamn! Not even a bloody antigrav field! As if the primitives could understand it even if they could find this place!Ф

Working in that ineffective manner, with runs up two flights of steps every fifteen minutes to check on her lone customer, it took her two hours to complete the loading. By then her uniform was torn, her nylons were in shreds, and sheТd broken the heel from one of her shoes.

УRidiculous clothing!Ф she muttered as she stomped up to the main floor in her stocking feet. In her anger she turned off the lights behind her but forgot to close the doors.




Chapter one

The High Tatras are magnificent in the early fall. I had arranged to spend my yearly vacation backpacking in the mountains south of Cracow, and for the most part my timing had been excellent.

The weather had been perfect, the color change was at its peak, andsince it was just past the usual tourist season-I had whole mountains to myself. The farmers were getting in the harvest, and all the children were back in school, All the teachers were back in school, too, which was unfortunate. I usually scored pretty well with schoolteachers.

Vacationing, I generally ended up with some agreeable female companionship, but such had been sadly lacking this trip. I had been three weeks without, and frankly, my horns were showing.

Well. My allotted two-week holiday from the Katowice Machinery Works was almost up, and there was one small errand I had yet to perform. I lived with my mother, and she had read a magazine article about the Zakopane Agricultural and Horticultural Research Station. I was going to be near Zakopane, so it seemed reasonable to her that I should visit the station and buy her some seeds.

Just why seeds purchased at the ZAHRST should be any different from seeds purchased in Katowice was not explained. Neither was her sudden interest in gardening, although I suspect that she had visions of me in the backyard, hoeing up carrots, instead of being out with my friends. In any event, to keep peace in the family I had promised to buy some seeds.

The station was served by a hiking trail as well as a road. I took the trail because the pleasures of walking are degraded by road dust and noise and because I am not friendly with the fat, motorized tourist who says, УYou mean you walked up here?Ф

The store was empty when I arrived. Empty, except for a few million seeds. It is incredible how many different kinds of plants there are. One rack had seeds for more than eighty different varieties of roses. Another had almost as many kinds of beets, lettuce, and strawberries.

The prices on everything were low-trivial, reallyso the thought hit me: The old girl wants seeds? Well, sheТs going to get seeds! Thousands of them! Not that I'm going to stick any of them into the ground!

This slightly sadistic train of thought was interrupted as a magnificent pair of breasts came in from the back room. These breasts were followed by an equally magnificent young lady.

УSorry. I didnТt know anyone was out here. Can I help you?Ф Her eyes were a glorious pale green that floated in a field of red freckles. Her hair was that incredible natural red that you see maybe once in a decade, and, oh yes, dear God, she could help me in so many wonderful ways!

However, sad experience has taught me that pouncing on them tends to frighten them off. So I smiled, making sure that my mouth was closed and that I wasnТt drooling.