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

sort of thing."
"And you don't have a secretary?" Yeti asked.
"I did. Fell off Mount Everest three weeks ago, though, when we took a
wrong turning. Probably should go back to England and find someone new to fill
the position. Damned nuisance, all in all."
Kris, who hadn't built an empire like Santa's Village on sheer dumb
luck, said, "You know, Sir Hilary, I think we may have someone here who's
admirably qualified for the post."
"Indeed? Who?"
"Yeti."
"What? This fellow here?" Sir Hilary took a hard, appraising look at
Yeti.
"He's well read, has beautiful penmanship, speaks eight languages
(including two dead ones), has cast iron stomachs, amazing endurance, and has
always longed to travel to the tropics. Your description of the Amazon jungle
makes it sound as if a fellow of Yeti's, uh, unique appearance would get along
all right there. And speaking as the president of Santa's Village
Incorporated, I can assure you he'll be a first-rate asset to your
expedition."
"Hmmm. Well, what do you say, old chap?" Sir Hilary finally said to
Yeti. "Interested in signing on?"
Before Yeti could spoil his bargaining position by appearing too eager,
Kris added, "Of course, there's the matter of salary to be discussed. And
we'll want to know what sort of benefit package you're offering. I couldn't,
in good conscience, turn Yeti over to an employer whose health insurance
program didn't cover all four of his stomachs."
The two men haggled for a while, finally agreeing that Yeti would work
during Christmas and Hanukkah when necessary, but never on Yom Kippur or the
Chinese New Year. They were still working out the final details when Yeti went
back to his cave to pack a few of his belongings. The next morning, he set out
on his journey with Sir Hilary to realize, at long last, his dream of living
somewhere warm and green.
About a year and a half later, during the slow season, Kris was
relaxing outdoors on a beautiful day in the North Pole (twenty-seven below)
when one of the elves, who had just received a long letter from a distant
relative working in Florida, told him the news. Several sightings of a strange
creature deep in the Amazon rain forest had led people to believe that some
prehistoric creature had survived the eons and was still living in Brazil.
Noted explorer Sir Hilary Winston Gladstone Edmundson-Smythe III, who was
still looking for the source of the Amazon, refused to confirm rumors that
he'd been seen playing cards with the creature.
Kris smiled and went in search of a pre-dinner snack.
-- The End --

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