"George R. R. Martin -- Second Helpings" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin George R R)

тАЬYou have a keen perception of the obvious,тАЭ Tuf said evenly. тАЬI have found ecological engineering to be
quite a lucrative profession.тАЭ
тАЬGood for you,тАЭ the man said. He leaned forward. тАЬWell, Tuf or Weemowet or whoever you are, this all
has been very droll, but I have work to do. If you donтАЩt pick up your hair and scuttle out of my sight in
the next few seconds, IтАЩm going to have to call security.тАЭ He was about to expand on that theme when
his console buzzed at him. тАЬYes?тАЭ he said into his headset, frowning. тАЬAh, yes. Sure, Ma. Well, big, very
big, two and a half meters tall, gut on him thatтАЩs almost obscene. Hmmmm. No, lots of hair, or at least he
did before he yanked it off and dumped it on my console. No. Says heтАЩs in disguise. Yes. Says heтАЩs got
millions of standards for you.тАЭ
тАЬSixteen million five hundred thousand,тАЭ Tuf said with some precision.
The secretary swallowed. тАЬCertainly. Right now, Ma.тАЭ He broke the connection and looked up at Tuf
with astonishment. тАЬShe wants to see you.тАЭ He pointed. тАЬThrough that door. Careful, her office is zero
gee.тАЭ
тАЬI am aware of the PortmasterтАЩs aversion to gravity,тАЭ said Haviland Tuf. He gathered up his discarded
mafte, tucked it under one arm, and moved with stiff dignity toward the indicated door, which slid open
at his approach.
She was waiting in the inner office, floating in the center of the clutter, her legs crossed, her long
silver-and-iron hair moving lazily about her lean, open, homely face like a wreath of smoke. тАЬSo you
came back,тАЭ she said when Tuf swam into view.
Haviland Tuf was uncomfortable in zero gee. He pulled himself to her visitorтАЩs chair, securely bolted to
what should have been the floor, and strapped himself in. He folded his hands neatly atop the great curve
of his stomach. His mane, abandoned, drifted about on the air currents. тАЬYour secretary refused to relay
my messages,тАЭ he said. тАЬHow did you come to suspect that it was me?тАЭ
She grinned. тАЬWho else would call his ship Ferocious Veldt Roarer?тАЭ she said. тАЬBesides, itтАЩs been five
years almost to the day. I had a feeling youтАЩd be the punctual sort, Tuf.тАЭ
тАЬI see,тАЭ said Haviland Tuf. With deliberate dignity, he reached inside his synthafurs, broke the sealseam
on the inner pocket, and extracted a vinyl wallet lined with crystal datachips in tiny pouches. тАЬHerewith,
madam, I am most pleased to tender you the sum of sixteen million five hundred thousand standards, in
payment of the first half of my debt to the Port of SтАЩuthlam for the restoration and refitting of the Ark.
You will find the funds secure in appropriate financial depositories on Osiris, ShanDellor, Old Poseidon,
Ptola, Lyss, and New Budapest. These chips will permit access.тАЭ
тАЬThanks,тАЭ she said. She took the wallet, flipped it open, glanced at it briefly, and let it loose. It floated up
toward the mane. тАЬSomehow I knew youтАЩd find the standards, Tuf.тАЭ
тАЬYour faith in my business acumen is reassuring,тАЭ said Haviland Tuf. тАЬNow, concerning this vidshow.тАЭ
тАЬTuf and Mune? YouтАЩve seen it, then?тАЭ
тАЬIndeed,тАЭ said Tuf.
тАЬGoddamn,тАЭ Tolly Mune said, grinning crookedly. тАЬSo whatтАЩd you think, Tuf?тАЭ
тАЬI am forced to admit that it evoked a certain perverse fascination in me, for obvious reasons. The idea of
such a drama has an undeniable appeal to my vanity, but the execution left much to be desired.тАЭ
Tolly Mune laughed. тАЬWhat bothers you the most?тАЭ
Tuf raised a single long finger. тАЬIn a word, inaccuracy.тАЭ
She nodded. тАЬWell, the vidshow Tuf masses about half what you do, IтАЩd say, his face is a lot more
mobile, his speech wasnтАЩt half as stilted, and he had a spinneretтАЩs musculature and an acrobatтАЩs
coordination, but they did shave his head in the interests of authenticity.тАЭ
тАЬHe wore a mustache,тАЭ said Haviland Tuf. тАЬI do not.тАЭ
тАЬThey thought it looked roguish. Then again, look what they did to me. I donтАЩt mind that they took fifty
years off my age, and I donтАЩt mind that they enhanced my face until I looked like a Vandeeni
dream-princess, but those goddamned breasts!тАЭ
тАЬNo doubt they wished to emphasize the certainty of your mammalian evolution,тАЭ said Tuf. тАЬThese might
be put down as minor alterations in the interests of presenting a more aesthetic entertainment, but I regard