"Heinlein, Robert A - Magic Inc" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

and ran up another section on the end.
An out-of-town concern tried to chisel me out of the business one season, but
one of their units fell, either through faulty workmanship on the pattern or
because of unskilled magic, and injured several people. Since then I've had the
field pretty much to myself.
I could not understand Joe Jedson's objection to reanimation. What difference
does it make?' I persisted. It's a dress, isn't it?'
Sure, it's a dress, hut it's not a new one. That style is registered somewhere
and doesn't belong to me. And even if it were one of my numbers she had used,
reanimation isn't what I'm after. I can make better merchandise cheaper without
it; otherwise I'd be using it now.'
The blonde girl came to, saw the dress, and said, Oh, Mr Jedson, did I do it?'
He explained what had happened. Her face fell, and the dress melted away at
once. Don't you feel bad about it, kid,' he added, patting her on the shoulder,
you were tired. We'll try again tomorrow. I know you can do it when you're not
nervous and overwrought.'
She thanked him and left with the nurse. Feldstein was full of explanations, but
Jedson told him to forget it, and to have them all back there at the same time
tomorrow. When we were alone I told him what had happened to me.
He listened in silence, his face serious, except when I told him how I had
kidded my visitor into thinking I had second sight. That seemed to amuse him.
You may wish that you really had it - second sight, I mean,' he said at last,
becoming solemn again. This is an unpleasant prospect. Have you notified the
Better Business Bureau?'
I told him I hadn't.
Very well then. I'll give them a ring and the Chamber of Commerce too. They
probably can't help much, but they are entitled to notification, so they can be
on the lookout for it.'
I asked him if he thought I ought to notify the police. He shook his head. Not
just yet. Nothing illegal has been done, and, anyhow, all the chief could think
of to cope with the situation would be to haul in all the licensed magicians in
town and sweat them. That wouldn't do any good, and would just cause hard
feeling to be directed against you by the legitimate members of the profession.
There isn't a chance in ten that the sorcerers connected with this outfit are
licensed to perform magic; they are almost sure to be clandestine. If the police
know about them, it's because they are protected. If they don't know about them,
then they probably can't help you.'
What do you think I ought to do?'
Nothing just yet. Go home and sleep on it. This Charlie may be playing a lone
hand, making small-time shakedowns purely on bluff. I don't really think so; his
type sounds like a mobster. But we need more data; we can't do anything until
they expose their hand a little more.'
We did not have long to wait. When I got down to my place of business the next
morning I found a surprise waiting for me - several of them, all unpleasant.
It was as if it had been ransacked by burglars, set fire to, then gutted by a
flood. I called up Jedson at once. He came right over. He didn't have anything
to say at first, but went poking through the ruins, examining a number of
things. He stopped at the point where the hardware storeroom had stood, reached
down and gathered up a handful of the wet ashes and muck. Notice anything?' he
asked, working his fingers so that the debris sloughed off and left in his hand