"Keith Laumer - The Lighter Side" - читать интересную книгу автора (Laumer Keith)

Keith Laumer:
The Lighter Side
By Keith Laumer
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and
any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

Copyright ┬й 2001 by the estate of Keith Laumer.

"In the Queue" was first published by Putnam in 1970 as part of the anthology Orbit 7, edited by
Damon Knight. "The Planet Wreckers" was first published in Worlds of Tomorrow, February
1967. "The Body Builders" was first published in Galaxy, August 1966. Time Trap was first
published by Putnam in 1970. "The Devil You Don't" was first published by Doubleday in 1970
as part of the anthology Alchemy & Academe, edited by Anne McCaffrey. "The Exterminator"
(aka "A Bad Day for Vermin") was first published in Galaxy, February 1964. "The Big Show"
was first published in Galaxy, February 1968. "Goobereality" was first published by Berkley in
1968 as part of the anthology of Keith Laumer stories entitled It's a Mad, Mad, Mad Galaxy.
"Prototaph" was first published in Analog, March 1966. The Great Time Machine Hoax was first
published by Simon & Schuster in 1964.

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.

A Baen Books Original

Baen Publishing Enterprises
P.O. Box 1403
Riverdale, NY 10471
www.baen.com

ISBN: 0-7434-3537-0

Cover art by Richard Martin

First printing, May 2002

Distributed by Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

Production by Windhaven Press, Auburn, NH
Printed in the United States of America
 THE RUTABAGA THAT
WALKED LIKE A MAN
The girl lay in the rain by her crumpled motorcycle. "You must help me," she whispered.
"Deliver the message: Beware the Rhox!"
"What rocks?" Roger looked around wildly. "I'll go for a doctor!"
Her voice faltered. "No time . . . to explain . . . take . . . button . . . put it in . . . your ear. . . ."
The green eyes held on Roger's, pleading.
"Seems like a funny time to worry about a hearing aid," Roger gulped, "but . . ." He held the
button to his ear. Did he hear a faint, wavering hum, or was it his imagination? He pushed it in.
"Drive to Pottsville," the girl's voice said in his ear. "Start now. Time is precious!"