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

Umberto is not getting any better. He's turning worse. He's now almost a full-time shiftie and he's getting
more press coverage than ever."

"Didn't he execute the editors of the two leading Zombada Territory papers?"

"It's not local coverage I'm worried about," said Carnivan. "Our problem is guys that work for outside
news agencies. Like that friend of yours, Marlow Demby."

Corinna turned to watch black butterflies circle in the green garden. "He's not exactly a friend. I only
know him through our Embassy encounters."

Carnivan clicked on the music machine and an overture came out. He hummed, his head ticking in time
with the music. "If our Propaganda Corps computers are at all right, this opera will be a big help. The
whole work is designed to invoke a lot of patriotic feeling, to glorify the traditions of Zombada Territory
and to subtly point out the parallels in the careers of King Umberto and that great patriot of a century
ago. Generalissimo Noz."

"You think people will really notice any parallels?" asked Corinna. "The generalissimo was a young,
deeply religious man who used to fast in the wilderness. The only furnishings in his office when he ruled
around here were a rug of jungle grass and a prayer wheel."



file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Ron%20Goulart%20-%20Change%20Over.html (7 of 12) [10/16/2004 3:32:15 PM]
 Change Over

"We've shuffled history a little to punch up the comparisons."

"I still worry about Mick Ezra and his Counter-Cul-ture Commandos trying to stage an incident during
opening night next week. Don't you?"

Carnivan listened to a few more bars of the propaganda opera overture, then flicked the organ off.
"You're lovely when you get that quizzical look. I'll tell you something, though this is a secret and
officially the Barnum Embassy isn't supposed to know a thing about it. Unofficially I know the Royal
Police are very quietly going to round up Ezra and most of his key followers, as many as they can find, a
day or so prior to the opera's opening."

"That's not too democratic either."

"It looks to be, though, the only way we can get this opera on with not too much trouble," Carnivan said.

Corinna finally smiled, her back to the sunlight, and left the room.




"What do you think of that?" asked King Umberto. He had just snapped his fingers and changed into a
large bookcase. "Complete with books, Bobby."

Carnivan yanked his ear watch out of the pocket of his formal tunic and held it to his ear. The time was