"John Kessel - The Einstein express" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kessel John)

The Einstein express
by John Kessel

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тАЬWhatever you do, donтАЩt offend Mr. Solomon,тАЭ Monica said, pushing David up the
stairs to the commuter platform. She tugged his five-inch-wide Windsor-knotted tie
straight. Monica always took such a motherly interest in his appearance. She would
never, she told him, let him embarrass either of them.
тАЬIтАЩm not a child, Monica.тАЭ
тАЬYou need this accounting job, David. ItтАЩs 1941. I canтАЩt marry a man who
fritters away his time on butterflies.тАЭ
тАЬI know Monica.тАЭ David was impressed by the authority of her eyebrows.
Monica had the eyebrows of a five-star general. тАЬBut youтАЩre going to hate waiting
for me while I make this long commute.тАЭ
She pinched his cheek. тАЬI have ways to keep myself occupied. See you
tonight.тАЭ As she turned to go David tried to kiss her, but she danced away. тАЬDavid!
DonтАЩt be an animal!тАЭ She got into LanceтАЩs Buick and drove off.
David stood amid the other commuters waiting for the train at the New Zion
station. He really wanted to be a lepidopterologist, not an accountant, but nobody
needed butterfly collectors. From his side pocket he pulled the folder containing the
specimen Yabadaba flooglus heтАЩd received in the mail the day before and examined
it, dreaming of Amazonian jungles and the thrill of the hunt. The flooglus was very
rare; he had spent fifteen dollars on it.
At the other end of the platform a young woman in an overcoat and sneakers
was prowling around muttering to herself. She peered toward David, shielding her
eyes with her hand, and stalked over to him. тАЬHave you seen Mr. Smith?тАЭ
тАЬMr. Smith?тАЭ
тАЬHe should be here somewhere.тАЭ
тАЬWhat does he look like?тАЭ
тАЬWell actually, you canтАЩt tell. HeтАЩs in a box.тАЭ She had a pale oval face and
straight dark hair. Her coat was four sizes too large. тАЬYou have him, donтАЩt you.
What did you do with him?тАЭ
тАЬWhat?тАЭ
тАЬDid you open the box? Has there been a spontaneous decay? Did the bottle
break?тАЭ
 тАЬMy good woman - тАЬ
тАЬIтАЩm not a woman, IтАЩm a physicist. You look like you could be a scientist - or
an accountant.тАЭ
тАЬI am an accountant - тАЬ
тАЬIтАЩm sorry to hear that.тАЭ
тАЬ - and I have no idea what IтАЩd want with Mr. Smith or his box - тАЬ
тАЬMy box.тАЭ
The other people on the platform were staring at them. He supposed he had to
humor this madwoman just so sheтАЩd shut up. And if somebody was indeed trapped
in a box he really ought to help. тАЬMaybe itтАЩs in the baggage room.тАЭ They searched
through the stationтАЩs baggage room. Ten minutes later she had him trapped behind a
steamer trunk while the local for New York arrived, and left. тАЬIтАЩve missed my train!тАЭ
David shouted.
тАЬSo what? IтАЩve missed my dog.тАЭ
тАЬYour dog! You kept me here looking for your dog? I have a meeting with