"Ron Goulart - Change Over" - читать интересную книгу автора (Goulart Ron)

Change Over



Change Over
By Ron Goulart
HE TRIPPED OVER a bale of hay and fell, skidding on the polished floor of the darkened throne room.
Robert Carnivan pushed himself up to a sitting position and called, "King Umberto." He then clutched
his flashlight up and walked, rubbing at his knee, to the light switch panel. The throne had been knocked
over on one side and a little gold raven was broken off. "Come on. King Umberto," said Carnivan. "I've
got the speech for us to go over." He flicked toggles and the six dangling chandeliers burst on.

The big window overlooking the courtyard had been smashed out of its frame and a night wind was
fluttering the gold leaf draperies gently. Stretched out Just under the ruined window, sprinkled with the
flecks of colored glass that were also on the floor, was the unconscious captain of the palace guards.

"Hey," shouted Carnivan, "are you fooling around again. King Umberto? Or have you been assassinated?
Come on now, answer."

"He's out on the bridle path in Zombada Park," said the deep old voice of Dr. Damasco.

"Why?"

"Because he's a horse."

Carnivan didn't see the king's physician anywhere in the great polished room. "Where are you, by the
way, Dr. Damasco?"

"The grand piano."

"I don't see you by the piano."

"I am the piano," explained the doctor.

Carnivan took a folded sheaf of white paper out of his inside surcoat pocket and walked cautiously to the
heavy, black piano. "Look, doctor, King Umberto promised me, and I in turn promised everybody in the
home office on Bamum, that he was cured," said Carnivan. "Our various diplomatic officers aren't, too
happy about King Umberto even when he's not an addict. I don't have to tell you what a mess the Barnum
Embassy here on Tartaruga was when I arrived three months ago. Even now I've only got one clerk and
pretty Corinna Candlebart, my girl friday of a secretary. Barnum really wants to help King Umberto stay
on the throne and they'd like to see him halt the mounting revolutionary movement. But he's going to
have to stop breaking his promises. How come you're a grand piano?"

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 Change Over



"The king is a very persuasive man," said Dr. Damasco. His voice seemed to come from some place in
among the piano wires. "He also gets angry with those who don't go along with him and his decisions."