"Frederik Pohl - The Midas Plague" - читать интересную книгу автора (Pohl Frederick)

all.
Howland drained his glass. "You may wonder," he
said formally, "why I am so pleased with you, Morey Fry.
I will tell you why this is."
Morey grinned. "Please do."
Howland nodded. "I will. It's because I am pleased
with the world, Morey. My wife left me last night."
Morey was as shocked as only a recent bridegroom can
be by the news of a crumbling marriage. "That's too ba
I mean is that a fact?"
"Yes, she left my beds and board and five robots, and
I'm happy to see her go." He poured another drink for
both of them. "Women. Can't live with them and can't
live without them. First you sigh and pant and chase
after 'emyou like poetry?" he demanded suddenly.
Morey said cautiously, "Some poetry."
Howland quoted: " 'How long, my love, shall I behold
this wall between our gardensyours the rose, and mine
the swooning lily.' Like it? I wrote it for Jocelynthat's
my wifewhen we were first going together."
"It's beautiful," said Morey.
"She wouldn't talk to me for two days." Howland
drained his drink. "Lots of spirit, that girl. Anyway, I
hunted her like a tiger. And then I caught her. Wowl"
Morey took a deep drink from his own glass. "What
do you mean, wow?" he asked.
"Wow." Howland pointed his finger at Morey. "Wow,
that's what I mean. We got married and I took her home
to the dive I was living in, and wow we had a kid, and
wow I got in a little trouble with the Ration Board
nothing serious, of course, but there was a mixupand
wow fights.
"Everything was a fight," he explained. "She'd start
with a little nagging, and naturally I'd say something or
other back, and bang we were off. Budget, budget, budget;
I hope to die if I ever hear the word 'budget' again. Morey,
you're a married man; you know what it's like. Tell me
the truth, weren't you Just about ready to blow your top
the first time you caught your wife cheating on the
budget?"
"Cheating on the budget?" Morey was startled. "Cheat-
ing how?"
"Oh, lots of ways. Making your portions bigger than
hers. Sneaking extra shirts for you on her clothing ration.
You know."
"Damn it, I do not know!" cried Morey. "Cherry
wouldn't do anything like that!"
Rowland looked at him opaquely for a long second.
"Of course not," he said at last. "Let's have another
drink."