"Damon Knight - The Handler" - читать интересную книгу автора (Knight Damon)

pop-eyed man were the only ones still sitting near him. An anxious smile flickered on his lips; he glanced
at one face, then another. "Well," he began, "that's one show under our belts, huh, fellows, but I guess we
got to start, you know, thinking about... "
"Listen, Fred," said the bald man seriously, leaning forward to touch him on the wrist, "why don't you get
back inside?"

The little man looked at him for a moment with sad hound-dog eyes, then ducked his head, embarrassed.
He stood up uncertainly, swallowed and said, "Well-" He climbed up on the chair behind the big man,
opened the back of the dinner jacket and put his legs in one at a time. A few people were watching him,
unsmiling. "Thought I'd take it easy a while," he said weakly, "but I guess-" He reached in and gripped
something with both hands, then swung himself inside. His brown, uncertain face disappeared.

The big man blinked suddenly and stood up. "Well, hey there," he called, "what's a matter with this party
anyway? Let's see some life, some action-" Faces were lighting up around him. People began to move in
closer. "What I mean, let me hear that beat!"

The big man began clapping his hands rhythmically. The piano took it up. Other people began to clap.
"What I mean, are we alive here or just waiting for the wagon to pick us up? How's that again, can't hear
you!" A roar of pleasure as he cupped his hand to his ear. "Well, come on, let me hear it!" A louder roar.
Pete, Pete; a gabble of voices. "I got nothing against Fred," said the bald man earnestly in the middle of
the noise. "I mean for a square he's a nice guy." "Know what you mean," said the pop-eyed man, "I mean
like he doesn't mean it." "Sure," said the bald man, "but, Jesus, that sweaty undershirt and all ..." Then
they both burst out laughing as the big man made a comic face, tongue lolling, eyes crossed. Pete, Pete,
Pete; the room was really jumping; it was a great party, and everything was all right far into the night.




END.




Taken from The best of Sci-Fi 5

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 THE HANDLER

Mayflower-Dell paperback 1966

Scanned by E-book_Worm. Nov 2002.




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