"Fritz Leiber - A Bad Day for Sales" - читать интересную книгу автора (Leiber Fritz)

тАЬNothing to say?тАЭ asked Robie.
тАЬUhтАФthank you.тАЭ
After a suitable pause, Robie continued, тАЬAnd how about a nice refreshing drink of Poppy Pop to go
with yourpolly- lop?тАЭ The boy lifted his eyes, but didnтАЩt stop licking the candy. Robie waggled his claws
slightly. тАЬJust give me a quarter and within five secondsтАФтАЬ
A little girl wriggled out of the forest of legs. тАЬGive me apolly- lop, too, Robie,тАЭ she demanded.
тАЬRita, come back here!тАЭ a woman in the third rank of the crowd called angrily.
Robie scanned the newcomer gravely. His reference silhouettes were not good enough to let him
distinguish the sex of children, so he merely repeated, тАЬHello, youngster.тАЭ
тАЬRita!тАЭ
тАЬGive me apolly- lop!тАЭ
Disregarding both remarks, for a good salesman is singleminded and does not waste bait, Robie said
winningly, тАЬIтАЩll bet you read Junior Space Killers. Now I have hereтАФтАЬ
тАЬUh-uh, IтАЩm a girl. He got a pony-lop.тАЭ
At the word тАЬgirl,тАЭ Robie broke off. Rather ponderously, he said, тАЬIтАЩll bet you read Gee-Gee Jones,
Space Stripper. Now I have here the latest issue of that thrilling comic, not yet in the stationary vending
machines. Just give me fifty cents and within fiveтАФтАЬ
тАЬPlease let me through. IтАЩm her mother.тАЭ
A young woman in the front rank drawled over her powder-sprayed shoulder, тАЬIтАЩll get her for you,тАЭ and
slithered out on six-inch platform shoes. тАЬRun away, children,тАЭ she said nonchalantly. Lifting her arms
behind her head, she pirouetted slowly before Robie to show how much she did for her bolero
half-jacket and her form-fitting slacks that melted into skylon just above the knees. The little girl glared at
her. She ended the pirouette in profile.
At this age-level, RobieтАЩs reference silhouettes permitted him to distinguish sex, though with occasional
amusing and embarrassing miscalls. He whistled admiringly. The crowd cheered.
Someone remarked critically to a friend, тАЬIt would go over better if he was built more like a real robot.
You know, like a man.тАЭ
The friend shook his head. тАЬThis way itтАЩs subtler.тАЭ
No one in the crowd was watching the newscript overhead as it scribbled, тАЬIce Pack for Hot Truce?
Vanahdin hints Russ may yield onPakistan .тАЭ
Robie was saying, тАЬ... in the savage new glamor-tint we have christened Mars Blood, complete with
spray applicator and fit-all fingerstalls that mask each finger completely except for the nail. Just give me
five dollarsтАФuncrumpled bills may be fed into the revolving rollers you see beside my armтАФand within
five secondsтАФтАЬ
тАЬNo, thanks, Robie,тАЭ the young woman yawned.
тАЬRemember,тАЭ Robie persisted, тАЬfor three more weeks, seductivizing Mars Blood will be unobtainable
from any other robot or human vendor.тАЭ
тАЬNo, thanks.тАЭ
Robie scanned the crowd resourcefully. тАЬIs there any gentleman here . . .тАЭ he began just as a woman
elbowed her way through the front rank.
тАЬI told you to come back!тАЭ she snapped at the little girl.
тАЬBut I didnтАЩt get mypolly- lop!тАЭ
тАЬ...who would care to . . .тАЭ
тАЬRita!тАЭ
тАЬRobie cheated. Ow!тАЭ
Meanwhile, the young woman in the half-bolero had scanned the nearby gentlemen on her own. Deciding
that there was less than a fifty per cent chance of any of them accepting the proposition Robie seemed
about to make, she took advantage of the scuffle to slither gracefully back into the ranks. Once again the
path was clear before Robie.
He paused, however, for a brief recapitulation of the more magical properties of Mars Blood, including a