"Laura Resnick - The Abominable Snowman" - читать интересную книгу автора (Resnick Laura)

person during his chat with Yeti, he said, "Right ho! That's done."
"Congratulations," Yeti said, rather hoping that Sir Hilary, who seemed
like a nice guy, wouldn't notice any of the fifty-odd other flags planted in
the general vicinity.
"D'you think there's any place hereabouts where a chap could get a bit
of grub? Dreadfully hungry, y'know. Haven't eaten since I killed a yak with my
bare hands four days ago."
"Well, Mrs. Kringle is making a huge Christmas feast. I said I wouldn't
be attending, but seeing as you're here now..."
"Good Lord, is it Christmas already? Where does a year go? I'm supposed
to be in South America by New Year's Eve."
"I'd say they're just about ready to sit down at the Kringles'. We can
make it if we hurry," Yeti urged.
"Afraid I'm not exactly dressed for dinner, dear chap. Hope it's not
formal."
"Oh, no, don't worry," Yeti assured him. "Elves and reindeer aren't
really great ones for dressing up."
"Good show!"
Mrs. Kringle was, of course, delighted to have two more guests at
Christmas dinner. Besides being a naturally generous person, she loved to
watch folks eat -- which was what had initially attracted her to Kris. Not
only did she find it a special treat to have Yeti at Christmas dinner, but she
was thrilled to face the challenge of fattening up the skinny Englishman he
had brought with him.
"Sir Hilary, have some more plum pudding and brandy sauce! Have some
blintzes! Have some rumaki!" she insisted, piling carcinogens on his plate
before he could object.
As Sir Hilary waxed poetic about his arduous journey through frozen
wastelands and his triumphant discovery of the North Pole, everyone listened
politely. Folks in the North Pole were too inherently courteous to point out
to the intrepid explorer that someone had been there before him, or that there
were easier ways to get there these days.
"Now that you've found the North Pole, Sir Hilary..." Kris winked a
piggy eye as he said this, but you had to know him well to really notice.
"What's next?"
"Off to Brazil. Looking for the source of the Amazon, y'know."
"Really? That sounds interesting," said Mrs. Kringle. "Have some cheese
souffle! Have some Yorkshire pudding!"
"Thanks awfully," said Sir Hilary. "Yes, it should be interesting. Very
isolated, y'know. Rather like this place. Full of strange and wondrous things,
weird creatures and missing people."
"Really?" asked Kris with interest. "But it's hot there?"
"Oh, yes. Frightfully so."
"It sounds wonderful," said Yeti dreamily. "Like paradise."
"There aren't, however, as far as I'm aware, any red-nosed reindeer in
the Amazon," said Sir Hilary, staring at Rudolph with interest.
"Well, you can't have everything," said Kris philosophically. "Will you
have to leave right away?"
"Afraid so. Dreadful problem, though. A proper expedition needs a good
secretary. Someone to keep records, take notes, bribe border officials, that