"Heinlein, Robert A - A Tenderfoot in Space - Original Version v1.0" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

Mr. Vaughn said, УGo to bed, young man, and sleep on it. IТll speak with you again tomorrow.Ф
УYes, sir. Good night, sir.Ф
УKiss your mother goodnight. One thing moreЧDo I need to lock doors to be sure you will be here in the morning?Ф
УNo, sir.Ф
Nixie got on the foot of the bed as usual, tromped out a space, laid his tail over his nose, and started to go to sleep. But his boy was not sleeping; his sadness was taking the distressing form of heaves and sobs. So Nixie got up, went to the other end of the bed and licked away tearsЧthen let himself be pulled into CharlieТs arms and tears applied directly to his neck. It was not comfortable and too hot, besides being taboo. But it was worth enduring as Charlie started to quiet down, presently went to sleep.
Nixie waited, gave him a lick on the face to check his sleeping, then moved to his end of the bed.
Mrs. Vaughn said to Mr. Vaughn, УCharles, isnТt there anything we can do for the boy?Ф
УConfound it, Nora. WeТre getting to Venus with too little money as it is. If anything goes wrong, weТll be dependent on charity.Ф
УBut we do have a little spare cash.Ф
УToo little. Do you think I havenТt considered it? Why, the fare for that worthless dog would be almost as much as it is for Charlie himself! Out of the question! So why nag me? Do you think I enjoy this decision?Ф
УNo, dear.Ф Mrs. Vaughn pondered. УHow much does Nixie weigh? I. . . well, I think I could reduce ten more pounds if I really tried.Ф
УWhat? Do you want to arrive on Venus a living skeleton? YouТve reduced all the doctor advises, and so have I.Ф
УWell.. . I thought that if somehow, among us, we could squeeze out NixieТs weightЧitТs not as if he were a St. Bernard! Чwe could swap it against what we weighed for our tickets.Ф
Mr. Vaughn shook his head unhappily. УThey donТt do it that way.Ф
УYou told me yourself that weight was everything. You even got rid of your chess set.Ф
УWe could afford thirty pounds of chess sets, or china, or cheese, where we canТt afford thirty pounds of dog.Ф
УI donТt see why not.Ф
УLet me explain. Surely, itТs weight; itТs always weight in a space ship. But it isnТt just my hundred and sixty pounds, or your hundred and twenty, not CharlieТs hundred and ten. WeТre not dead weight; we have to eat and drink and breathe air and have room to moveЧthat last takes more weight because it takes more ship weight to hold a live person than it does for an equal weight in the cargo hold. For a human being there is a complicated formulaЧhull weight equal to twice the passengerТs weight, plus the number of days in space times four pounds. It takes a hundred and forty-six days to get to VenusЧso it means that the calculated weight for each
of us amounts to six hundred and sixteen pounds before they even figure in our actual weights. But for a dog the rate is even higherЧfive pounds per day instead of four.Ф
УThat seems unfair. Surely a little dog canТt eat as much as a man? Why, NixieТs food costs hardly anything.Ф
Her husband snorted. УNixie eats his own rations and half of what goes on CharlieТs plate. However, itТs not only the fact that a dog does eat more for his weight, but also they donТt reprocess waste with a dog, not even for hydroponics.Ф
УWhy not? Oh, I know what you mean. But it seems silly.Ф
УThe passengers wouldnТt like it. Never mind; the rule is: five pounds per day for dogs. Do you know what that makes NixieТs fare? Over three thousand dollars!Ф
УMy goodness!Ф
УMy ticket comes to thirty-eight hundred dollars and some, you get by for thirty-four hundred, and CharlieТs fare is thirty-three hundredЧyet that confounded mongrel dog, which we couldnТt sell for his veterinary bills, would cost three thousand dollars. If we had that to spareЧwhich we havenТtЧthe humane thing would be to adopt some orphan, spend the money on him, and thereby give him a chance on an uncrowded planet... not waste it on a dog. Confound it!Чa year from now Charlie will have forgotten this dog.Ф
УI wonder.Ф
УHe will. When I was a kid, Ihad to give up dogsЧ more than once they died, or something. I got over it. Charlie has to make up his mind whether to give Nixie away. . . or have him put to sleep.Ф He chewed his lip. УWeТll get him a pup on Venus.Ф
УIt wonТt be Nixie.Ф
УHe can name it Nixie. HeТll love it as much.Ф
УButЧCharles, how is it there are dogs on Venus if itТs so dreadfully expensive to get them there?Ф
УEh? I think the first exploring parties used them to scout. In any case theyТre always shipping animals to Venus; our own ship is taking a load of milch cows.Ф
УThat must be terribly expensive.Ф
УYes and no. They ship them in sleep-freeze of course, and a lot of them never revive. But they cut their losses by butchering the dead ones and selling the meat at fancy prices to the colonists. Then the ones that live have calves and eventually it pays off.Ф He stood up. УNora, letТs go to bed. ItТs sadЧbut our boy is going to have to make a manТs decision. Give the mutt away, or have him put to sleep.Ф
УYes, dear.Ф She sighed. УIТm coming.Ф

Nixie was in his usual place at breakfastЧlying beside CharlieТs chair, accepting tidbits without calling attention to himself. He had learned long ago the rules of the dining room: no barking, no whining, no begging for food, no paws on laps, else the pets of his pet would make difficulties. Nixie was satisfied. He had learned as a puppy to take the world as it was, cheerful over its good points, patient with its minor shortcomings. Shoes were not to be chewed, people were not to be jumped on, most strangers must be allowed to approach the hOuse (subject, of course, to strict scrutiny and constant alertness)Чa few simple rules and everyone was happy. Live and let live.
He was aware that his boy was not happy even this beautiful morning. But he had explored this feeling carefully, touching his boyТs mind with gentle care by means of his canine sense for feelings, and had decided, from his superior maturity, that the mood would wear off. Boys were sometimes sad and a wise dog was
resigned to it.
Mr. Vaughn finished his coffee, put his napkin aside. УWell, young man?Ф
Charlie did not answer. Nixie felt the sadness in Charlie change suddenly to a feeling more aggressive and
much stronger but no better. He pricked up his ears and waited.
УChuck,Ф his father said, Уlast night I gave you a choice. Have you made up your mind?Ф
УYes, Dad.Ф CharlieТs voice was very low.
УEh? Then tell me.Ф
Charlie looked at the tablecloth. УYou and Mother go to Venus. Nixie and I are staying here.Ф
Nixie could feel anger welling up in the man.. . felt him control it. УYouТre figuring on running away again?Ф
УNo, sir,Ф Charlie answered stubbornly. УYou can sign me over to the state school.Ф
УCharlie!Ф It was CharlieТs mother who spoke. Nixie tried to sort out the rush of emotions impinging on him.
УYes,Ф his father said at last, УI could use your passage money to pay the state for your first three years or so, and agree to pay your support until you are eighteen. But I shanТt.Ф
УHuh? Why not, Dad?Ф