"C M Kornbluth - Kazam Collects" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kornbluth C M)

they rose and blinked absently at him as he waved a benediction and vanished behind a door covered
with chunks of gilded wood.



The congregation began to buzz quietly.



"Well?" demanded one of another. "What did you think of



ur



"I dunno. Who's he, anyway?" A respectful gesture at the door covered with gilded wood.
"Kazam's his name. They say he hasn't touched food since he saw the Ineluctable Modality."



"What's thatr



Pitying smile. "You couldn't understand it just yet Wait till you've come around a few more times. Then
maybe you'll be able to read his bookтАФThe Unravelling.' After that you can tackle the 'Isba Kazhlunk'
that he found in the Siberian ice. It opened the way to the Ineluctable Modality, but it's pretty deep
stuffтАФeven for me."



They filed from the hall buzzing quietly, dropping coins into a bowl that stood casually by the exit. Above
the bowl hung from the ceiling strips of red cloth in a circle of five. The bowl, of course, was covered
with chunks of gilded wood.



Beyond the door the stringy, brown man was having a little trouble. Detective Fitzgerald would not be
convinced.



"In the first place," said the detective, "you aren't licensed to collect charities. In the second place this
whole thing looks like fraud and escheatment. In the third place this building isn't a dwelling and you'll
have to move that cot out of here." He gestured disdainfully at an army collapsible that stood by the
battered roUtop desk. Detective Fitzgerald was a big, florid man who dressed with exquisite neatness. "I
am sorry," said the stringy, brown man. "What must