"Heinlein, Robert A - All You Zombies (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

Robert A. Heinlein. All you zombies


2217 Time Zone V (EST) 7 Nov. 1970-NTC- "Pop's Place":
I was polishing a brandy snifter when the Unmarried Mother came
in. I noted the time-10: 17 P. M. zone five, or eastern time,
November 7th, 1970. Temporal agents always notice time and
date; we must.

The Unmarried Mother was a man twenty-five years old,
no taller than I am, childish features and a touchy temper. I
didn't like his looks - I never had - but he was a lad I was
here to recruit, he was my boy. I gave him my best barkeep's
smile.

Maybe I'm too critical. He wasn't swish; his nickname
came from what he always said when some nosy type asked him his
line: "I'm an unmarried mother. -- If he felt less than
murderous he would add: "at four cents a word. I write
confession stories. --

If he felt nasty, he would wait for somebody to make
something of it. He had a lethal style of infighting, like a
female cop - reason I wanted him. Not the only one.

He had a load on, and his face showed that he despised
people more than usual. Silently I poured a double shot of Old
Underwear and left the bottle. He drank it, poured another.

I wiped the bar top. -- How's the "Unmarried Mother"
racket? --

His fingers tightened on the glass and he seemed about
to throw it at me; I felt for the sap under the bar. In
temporal manipulation you try to figure everything, but there
are so many factors that you never take needless risks.

I saw him relax that tiny amount they teach you to
watch for in the Bureau's training school. -- Sorry, " I said.
-- Just asking, "How's business? " Make it "How's the weather?
--

He looked sour. -- Business is okay. I write "em, they
print "em, I eat. --

I poured myself one, leaned toward him. -- Matter of
fact, " I said, "you write a nice stick - I've sampled a few.
You have an amazingly sure touch with the woman's angle. --