"C M Kornbluth - That Share Of Glory" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kornbluth C M)

He cast a glance which he hoped would not be the final one over it; a glance which lingered a little fondly
on the reel rack where were stowed: "Nicholson on Martian Verbs," "The New Oxford Venusian
Dictionary," the ponderous six-



reeler "Deutche-Ganymediche Konversasionslexikon" published long ago and far away inLeipzig. The
later works were there, too: "The Tongues of the GalaxyтАФAn Essay in Classification," "A Concise
Grammar of Cephean," "The Self-Pronouncing Vegan II Dictionary"тАФscores of them, and, of course,
the worn reel of old Machiavelli's "The Prince."



Enough of that! Alen combed out his small, neat beard and stepped onto the southbound corridor. He
transferred to an eastbound at the next intersection and minutes later was before the Rector's lay
secretary.



"You'd better review your Lyran irregulars," said the secretary disrespectfully. "There's a trader in there
who's looking for a cheap herald on a swindling trip to Lyra VI." Thus unceremoniously did Alen learn
that he was not to be ejected from the Order but that he was to be elevated to Journeyman. But as a
herald should, he betrayed no sign of his immense relief. He did, however, take the secretary's advice
and sensibly reviewed his Lyran.



While he was in the midst of a declension which applied only to inanimate objects, the voice of the
RectorтАФand what a mellow voice it was!тАФfloated through the secretary's intercom.



"Admit the novice, Alen," said the Master Herald.



A final settling of his robes and the youth walked into the Rector's huge office, with the seal of the Order
blazing in diamonds above his desk. There was a stranger present; presumably the traderтАФa
black-bearded fellow whose rugged frame didn't carry his Vegan cloak with ease.



Said the Rector: "Novice, this is to be the crown of your toil if you are acceptable toтАФ?" He courteously
turned to the trader, who shrugged irritably.



"It's all one to me," growled the blackbeard. "Somebody cheap, somebody who knows the cant of the
thievish Lyran gem peddlers, above all, somebody at once. Overhead is devouring my flesh day by day
as the ship waits at the field. And when we are space-borne, my imbecile crew will doubtless waste liter