"Harry Harrison - Galactic Dreams" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harrison Harry)

Hollywood Boulevard. There are only ten names on the SF shelves. Which means
that enough people liked my books and bought my books to put me there in the
top ten.

This is a prize that cannot be purchased or fought for. It is given by you,
friendly reader. Thank you very much indeed.

HARRY HARRISON DUBLIN, IRELAND

1

I ALWAYS DO WHAT TEDDY SAYS

The little boy lay sleeping. The moonlight effect of the picture-picture
window threw a pale glow across his untroubled features. He had one arm
clutched around his teddy bear, pulling the round face with its staring button
eyes close to his own. His father, and the tall man with the black beard,
tiptoed silently across the nursery to the side of the bed.

"Slip it away," the tall man said. "Then substitute the other.тАЭ

"No, he would wake up and cry," Davy's father said. "Let me take care of this.
I know what to do.тАЭ

With gentle hands he laid the second teddy bear down next to the boy, on the
other side of his head. His sleeping cherub face was framed by the wide-eared
unsleeping masks of the toys. Then he carefully lifted the boy's arm from the
original teddy and pulled it free. This disturbed Davy without waking him. He
ground his teeth together and rolled over, clutching the substitute toy to his
cheek. Within a few moments his soft breathing was regular and deep again. The
boy's father raised his forefinger to his lips and the other man nodded; they
left the room without making a sound, closing the door noiselessly behind
them.

"Now we begin," Torrence said, reaching out to take the teddy bear. His lips
were small and glistened redly in the midst of his dark beard. The teddy bear
twisted in his grip and the black-button eyes rolled back and forth.

"Take me back to Davy," it said in a thin and tiny voice.

"Let me have the thing back," the boy's father said. "It knows me and won't
complain.тАЭ

His name was Numen and, like Torrence, he was a Doctor of Government. Despite
their outstanding abilities both DGs had been made redundant, were unemployed
by the present government.

They had no physical resemblance. Torrence was a bear, though a small one, a
black bear with hair sprouting thickly on his knuckles, twisting out of his
white cuffs and lining his ears. His beard was full and thick rising high up