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

"Whims is more what King Umberto has," said Carnivan. He held the typed speech up to the piano.
"King Umberto is scheduled to address the Opera Guild in less than two hours. This is the address right
here. You know, I was sent out to this planet because I'm one of the top rated men in the Propaganda
Corps, doctor."

"My eyes seem to be down around the soft pedal if you want me to read something."

"No, I don't want you to read anything," said Carnivan. He was whapping his open palm with the speech.
"I want King Umberto to read it. Then I want him to practice delivering it. I want him to steel himself
against any possible criticism. That incident during his speech on Jockey Day I'm still trying to
downplay. He's got to learn he can't shoot hecklers."

"At least not in the open like that," agreed the doctor. "The obligations of kingship, Mr. Robert, they are
monumental. They weigh on his poor shoulders like great quantities of impregnable stone."

"Yes, I know, I wrote that impregnable stone speech for him," said Carnivan. He looked at the piano
stool, gave it a tentative spin. "Are you the stool, too?"

"No, only the piano."

Carnivan sat on the stool. "Dr. Damasco, I must make it clear to you that on the planet Bamum, from
whence all the planets in our system are more or less ruled, on Barnum there is great concern over King
Umberto. Now as I explained to you and King Umberto shortly after I arrived, Bamum doesn't insist
every government it supports be a democracy. Nor even a benevolent despotism. But they do get upset
by a king who goes around publicly shooting people and is, on top of that, a short-tempered loudmouth.
And, on top of that, is apparently addicted to some strange and illegal drug."

"It's not exactly a drug."

"Whatever it is. He's got you taking it, too, now?"

"Yes," replied the doctor. "As the king puts it, Mr. Robert, he hates to change all by himself."

"Can't you change back to yourself now and help me find him?"

The piano said, "It is not quite so simple. The herb-based drug, Meta, is still little understood. Much of
the research done on Meta was carried out on your home planet by a Dr. Davis-Stockbridge, who was, I


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 Change Over

believe, also instrumental in the creation of your Chameleon Corps."

"I know, I know," cut in Carnivan. "And the herb grows wild all over the jungles of Zombada Territory
here. And good King Umberto has been hooked on the damn stuff for Rve years."

"Four years," corrected the doctor. "The fast year he could take it or leave it."