"Robert A. Heinlein - Have Space Suit Will Travel" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

had been incognito (I was reading The Little Lame Prince) and had tossed Dad a
purse of gold -- it was at least a year before I found out that a "royalty"
could be money from a patent or a book or business stock, and some of the
glamour went out of life. But this visitor, though not king, thought he could
make Dad do what he wanted rather than what Dad wanted:
"Dr. Russell, I concede that Washington has an atrocious climate. But
you will have air-conditioned offices."
"With clocks, no doubt. And secretaries. And soundproofing."
"Anything you want. Doctor."
"The point is, Mr. Secretary, I don't want them. This household has no
clocks. Nor calendars. Once I had a large income and a larger ulcer; I now
have a small income and no ulcer. I stay here."
"But the job needs you."
"The need is not mutual. Do have some more meat loaf."
Since Dad did not want to go to the Moon, the problem was mine. I got
down college catalogs I had collected and started listing engineering schools.
I had no idea how I could pay tuition or even eat -- but the first thing was
to get myself accepted by a tough school with a reputation.
If not, I could enlist in the Air Force and try for an appointment. If I
missed, I could become an enlisted specialist in electronics; Lunar Base used
radar and astrar techs. One way or another, I was going.
Next morning at breakfast Dad was hidden behind the New York Times while
Mother read the Herald-Trib. I had the Centerville Clarion but it's fit only
for wrapping salami. Dad looked over his paper at me. "Clifford, here's
something in your line."
"Huh?"
"Don't grunt; that is an uncouth privilege of seniors. This." He handed
it to me.
It was a soap ad.
It announced that tired old gimmick, a gigantic super-colossal prize
contest. This one promised a thousand prizes down to a last hundred, each of
which was a year's supply of Skyway Soap.
Then I spilled cornflakes in my lap. The first prize was -- " -- AN ALL-
EXPENSE TRIP TO THE MOON!!!"
That's the way it read, with three exclamation points -- only to me
there were a dozen, with bursting bombs and a heavenly choir.
Just complete this sentence in twenty-five words or less: "I use Skyway
Soap because..." (And send in the usual soap wrapper or reasonable facsimile.)
There was more about" -- joint management of American Express and Thos.
Cook -- " and " -- with the cooperation of the United States Air Force -- "
and a list of lesser prizes. But all I saw, while milk and soggy cereal soaked
my pants, was: " -- TRIP TO THE MOON!!!"


Chapter 2

First I went sky-high with excitement...then as far down with
depression. I didn't win contests -- why, if I bought a box of Cracker Jack,
I'd get one they forgot to put a prize in. I had been cured of matching
pennies. If I ever --