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

then everything went blank. How come I'm not dead and buried?тАЭ
тАЬWell, actually you were,тАЭ I said. тАЬUntil we unburied you a couple of hours ago. In fact,тАЭ I
added, тАЬthere's probably them what would say you still are.тАЭ
тАЬBuried?тАЭ
тАЬDead,тАЭ I said.
тАЬI'm going to need some time to consider all this,тАЭ said Gustave.
тАЬYou have all of eternity,тАЭ said the Baron. тАЬBeing dead already, it is impossible for you to age.тАЭ
тАЬDon't bet on it,тАЭ muttered Gustave. тАЬI think I've aged thirty years in the past three minutes.тАЭ
тАЬI must write this up in my journal,тАЭ said the Baron. тАЬIvor, you and Doctor Jones stay with him,
and don't let him get excited.тАЭ
He left the laboratory, and Gustave turned back to me.
тАЬDo I look as terrible as I think I look?тАЭ he asked.
тАЬWell, that all depends,тАЭ I said.
тАЬOn what?тАЭ
тАЬOn what you think you look like.тАЭ
тАЬLike the ugliest living thing on the face of the earth,тАЭ he said.
тАЬWorse,тАЭ I answered.
тАЬWell, I suppose I haven't got too much to complain about,тАЭ he said at last. тАЬI could be back in
that grave you dug me out of.тАЭ
тАЬThat's the spirit, Brother Gustave,тАЭ I said. тАЬLook on the bright side. The ladies may not beat a
path to your door, but at least you ain't still pushing up daisies.тАЭ
тАЬBut what am I to do with myself?тАЭ he asked.
тАЬSeems to me like you're in prime shape to become a professional rassler,тАЭ I said.
тАЬHe could be a weightlifter or a basketball player,тАЭ suggested Ivor.
тАЬRight,тАЭ I said. тАЬYou been looking at this through jaundiced eyes, Brother Gustave. There's no
end of things you can do when you're ten feet tall and weigh six hundred pounds.тАЭ
He shook his head. тАЬI can't let anyone see me looking like this.тАЭ
тАЬActually,тАЭ said Ivor, тАЬI believe that the Baron plans to put you on exhibition.тАЭ
тАЬI'm not going to play the freak just to satisfy his ego,тАЭ answered Gustave. тАЬI'll kill myself first.тАЭ
тАЬIt's too late for that,тАЭ said Ivor sympathetically. тАЬYou're already dead.тАЭ
тАЬRight,тАЭ he said. тАЬI keep forgetting.тАЭ He paused. тАЬOn the other hand, if I'm already dead, he
can't threaten or force me to do anything.тАЭ
тАЬMighty few people of your particular physical attributes get forced to do anything they don't
want to do,тАЭ I agreed.
тАЬWhy did he use so many spare parts?тАЭ asked Gustave. тАЬDoesn't he realize how much a new
wardrobe will cost me?тАЭ
тАЬI don't think that was among his primary concerns,тАЭ said Ivor.
тАЬI might have guessed as much from a man who won't pay off his gambling debts,тАЭ muttered
Gustave. тАЬHe walks into my establishment, loses three hundred pounds playing poker, writes
an I.O.U., and then refuses to honor it.тАЭ
тАЬThere was a reason for that,тАЭ said a voice from behind us, and we all turned to see that the
Baron had reentered the laboratory.
тАЬLet's hear it,тАЭ said Gustave. тАЬI could use a good laugh after the day I've had.тАЭ
тАЬThe game was rigged.тАЭ
тАЬI've never run a rigged game in my life!тАЭ said Gustave.
тАЬDo you know the odds on someone beating me in a five-man game with the hand I held?тАЭ
said the Baron.
тАЬYeah,тАЭ said Gustave. тАЬ32,457 to one.тАЭ
тАЬHow did you know that?тАЭ asked the Baron.
тАЬNumbers are my business.тАЭ