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

"Four or five, the point is he's addicted to a drug that causes him to change shape. He's turned into
refrigerators, polar bears, apple trees, lawn furniture, baboons, and what have you. On a couple of
occasions he did his changing while photographers were around. Now he's changed into a horse. Why a
horse anyway?"

"I asked the same question when I noticed the bale of hay."

"This grows tougher and tougher to keep quiet," said Carnivan. "Maybe out here King Umberto can
shoot his bitterest critics, but Barnum is a democracy. We have to listen to critics. A lot of the criticism
lately has been directed at our continued support of King Umberto and his regime. Why is it you can't
turn back into yourself?"

"I've been endeavoring to explain," answered the piano. "You see, Mr. Robert, a period of time is
required for one to become a complete Meta addict, to become what the lower depths call a shiftie. Then
one can change back and forth in a matter of moments. I am not such a one, not an expert shiftie, having
only used Meta on the half-dozen occasions when the king threatened to shoot me did I not join him. For
me, therefore, there is a waiting period, several hours unfortunately, before I will be myself again."

"King Umberto, if I find him, I can get him to shift back to his own shape right away?"

"Theoretically that is so," said the doctor. "He is, however, in a particularly nasty mood, Mr. Robert. He
knocked out six of the palace guards before he came roaring into my suite."

"He's not helping the security situation around here any either," said Carnivan. "Knocking out all his
guards. He's likely to get assassinated and that's going to be even harder to keep quiet."

"I do believe you can perhaps reason with the king, Mr. Robert. He seems to be fonder of you than of any
of the former Bamum Embassy staff members."

"I'm the only one he hasn't taken a shot at," admitted Carnivan. He put the speech back away in his gray
surcoat. "What kind of horse is he?"

"A roan stallion."



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 Change Over

"What color is that?"

"Chestnut interspersed with gray," said the old doctor. "He's wearing horseshoes, so you may be able to
trail him."

"Okay," said Carnivan. "If he comes back here send him to the Opera Guild. This propaganda opera
we're going to put on next week is vitally important. He must be very nice to these opera patrons. Tell
him."

"Of course, Mr. Robert."