"Mike Resnick - Encounters" - читать интересную книгу автора (Resnick Mike)

тАЬYou wouldn't happen to have something in a blonde of the female persuasion, would you?тАЭ I
said. тАЬMaybe a size 8?тАЭ
тАЬAll in good time,тАЭ he said. тАЬOne day I shall turn out beauty queens galore, but first we must
complete the prototype. He lacks only a brain to be a completely functioning human being.тАЭ
тАЬThat ain't never stopped certain select politicians and constabularies I've known,тАЭ I offered.
тАЬThis one will be a worthy representative, I assure you,тАЭ said the Baron. He turned to Ivor.
тАЬIfyou got the right brain this time.тАЭ
тАЬThistime?тАЭ I asked.
тАЬI don't know how it keeps happening, but the first four brains he obtained were abnormal.тАЭ
тАЬJust poor luck,тАЭ said Ivor.
тАЬIt not only held back my moment of triumph, but it played hell with my fire insurance
premiums.тАЭ
тАЬHow can an abnormal brain effect your fire insurance?тАЭ I asked.
тАЬThe locals keep trying to burn the castle down,тАЭ answered the Baron. тАЬThey simply cannot
comprehend the importance of my work.тАЭ He paused. тАЬOf course, I can see their side of it,
too. Number Threedid kill seventeen of them and tear down the local church, right after
Number Two destroyed the school.тАЭ
тАЬDon't forget Number One,тАЭ said Ivor.
тАЬHe simply lacked empirical knowledge,тАЭ said the Baron. тАЬI mean, how washe to know that all
those people couldn't survive after he threw them off the belltower? He himself was incapable
of feeling pain.тАЭ
тАЬI almost hate to ask,тАЭ I said, тАЬbut what happened to Number Four.тАЭ
тАЬI don't care to discuss it,тАЭ said the Baron, and walked over to begin work removing Gustave's
brain.
тАЬHe's kind of sensitive about Number Four,тАЭ whispered Ivor.
тАЬHow come?тАЭ I asked.
тАЬIt ran off with his wife,тАЭ said Ivor. тАЬLast postcard we got from them, they were living it up on
the Riviera.тАЭ He paused. тАЬBut this time will be different. This time we've got the brain of a man
who spent his whole life with books, who even took literature itself as part of his name.тАЭ
тАЬDone!тАЭ announced the Baron after another couple of minutes. тАЬNow we simply transfer the
brain to my creation, attach all the ganglia and synapses, and it is accomplished.тАЭ
тАЬWhat do you plan to call this critter?тАЭ I asked, as he placed the brain in a metal pan and
carried it over.
тАЬI really hadn't considered that,тАЭ said the Baron. тАЬI just assumed we'd call him The Monster,
just like the other four.тАЭ
тАЬAin't that likely to upset his delicate bookish feelings?тАЭ I said.
тАЬYou're quite right, Doctor Jones,тАЭ said the Baron. тАЬIvor, what shall we call him?тАЭ
тАЬCreature Number Five?тАЭ suggested Ivor.
тАЬWhy not just call him Gustave?тАЭ I said. тАЬAfter all, that's the name he's responded to all his
life.тАЭ
тАЬGustave?тАЭ repeated the Baron distastefully. тАЬWhat a dreadful name!тАЭ
тАЬWhat's wrong with it?тАЭ I asked.
тАЬI've only known one Gustave in my life, and if I never see him again, it will be too soon.тАЭ
тАЬWhy not wait til you bring him back to life and ask him what he wants to be called?тАЭ said Ivor.
тАЬA capital suggestion!тАЭ said the Baron. He turned to me. тАЬI'll be at least half an hour
transplanting and connecting the brain, Doctor Jones.тАЭ
тАЬThat long, huh?тАЭ
тАЬWell, itis delicate surgery,тАЭ he said. тАЬWhy don't you freshen up and have Ivor get you some
food in the meantime?тАЭ
тАЬSounds good to me,тАЭ I said. тАЬIvor, where's the kitchen?тАЭ