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

though how the devil, he asked himself bitterly, did you
go about using up swimming gear when you didn't have
time for such leisurely pursuits as swimming? But cer-
tainly the hiking slacks were used! He'd worn them for
three whole days and part of a fourth; what did they
expect him to do, go around in rags?
Morey looked belligerently at the coffee and toast that
the valet-robot had brought in with the mail, and then
steeled his resolve. Unfair or not, he had to play the
game according to the rules. It was for Cherry, more than
for himself, and the way to begin a new way of life was to
begin it.
Morey was going to consume for two.
He told the valet-robot, "Take that stuff back. I want
cream and sugar with the coffeelots of cream and sugar.
And besides the toast, scrambled eggs, fried potatoes,
orange juiceno, make it half a grapefruit. And orange
juice, come to think of it."
"Right away, sir," said the valet. "You won't be hav-
ing breakfast at nine then, will you, sir?"
"I certainly will," said Morey virtuously. "Double por-
tions!" As the robot was closing the door, he called after
it, "Butter and marmalade with the toast!"
He went to the bath; he had a full schedule and no time
to waste. In the shower, he carefully sprayed himself with
lather three times. When he had rinsed the soap off, he
went through the whole assortment of taps in order: three
lotions, plain talcum, scented talcum and thirty seconds
of ultra-violet. Then he lathered and rinsed again, and
dried himself with a towel instead of using the hot-air
drying jet. Most of the miscellaneous scents went down
the drain with the rinse water, but if the Ration Board
accused lii'w of waste, he could claim he was experiment-
ing. The effect, as a matter of fact, wasn't bad at all.
He stepped out, full of exuberance. Cherry was awake,
staring in dismay at the tray the valet had brought. "Good
morning, dear," she said faintly. "Ugh."
Morey kissed her and patted her hand. "Well!" he said,
looking at the tray with a big, hollow smile. "Food!"
"Isn't that a lot for just the two of us?"
"Two of us?" repeated Morey masterfully. "Nonsense,
my dear, I'm going to eat it all by myself!"
"Oh, Morey!" gasped Cherry, and the adoring look she
gave him was enough to pay for a dozen such meals.
Which, he thought as he finished his morning exercises
with the sparring-robot and sat down to his real breakfast,
it just about had to be, day in and day out, for a long,
long time.
Still, Morey had made up his mind. As he worked his
way through the kippered herring, tea and crumpets, he