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

тАЬReally? I'm terrible with them myself.тАЭ
тАЬI can tell,тАЭ said Gustave, holding his arms out in front of him. One was a good six inches
longer than the other.
тАЬQuick,тАЭ said the Baron. тАЬHow much is 358 times 409?тАЭ
тАЬ146,422,тАЭ said Gustave.
тАЬHow are you at calculus?тАЭ asked the Baron.
тАЬI've done my fair share of it in school.тАЭ
тАЬHave you studied any other higher mathematics?тАЭ
тАЬOh, not really,тАЭ said Gustave modestly. тАЬI helped Einstein a bit when he passed through
here. And Shwarzchild wanted to call it the Gustave Radius, but I told him that he had done
most of the initial work and it should really be the Shwarzchild Radius.тАЭ He sighed. тАЬI never
could help Schroedinger understand those damned cats, though.тАЭ
тАЬMy God, man!тАЭ said the Baron, his eyes wide. тАЬWhy have you been hiding in a bookie joint?тАЭ
тАЬI haven't been hiding,тАЭ answered Gustave. тАЬit's just deadbeats like you who can't find me.тАЭ
тАЬBut why aren't you a scientist?тАЭ
тАЬI had to loan Albert rent money last month,тАЭ said Gustave. тАЬDoes that answer your
question?тАЭ
тАЬBut think of the inestimable service you could be to humanity!тАЭ said the Baron.
тАЬThat didn't interest me even when I was human,тАЭ said Gustave. тАЬSo why should I care now?тАЭ
тАЬDon't you understand?тАЭ said the Baron. тАЬI want you to work with me! I'll make you a full
partner!тАЭ
тАЬYou mean you'll give me half of a run-down castle?тАЭ said Gustave. тАЬDon't make me laugh.тАЭ
тАЬWhat do you want to come to work with me?тАЭ
тАЬFirst,тАЭ said Gustave, тАЬI want to start my business up again. We'll run it out of Castle
Steinmetz.тАЭ
тАЬWhat else?тАЭ
тАЬI want my three hundred pounds.тАЭ
тАЬDone.тАЭ
тАЬOne more thing,тАЭ said Gustave. тАЬThe next thing we work on is a wife for me.тАЭ
тАЬCertainly,тАЭ said the Baron. тАЬWith your input, I should be able to create an exact replica of
Mary Pickford.тАЭ
тАЬI'll settle for Mabel Normand,тАЭ said Gustave.
тАЬHere,тАЭ said the Baron. тАЬGo over my notes while I get your money.тАЭ
He tossed a stack of papers onto the table next to Gustave and raced from the room.
Gustave started going over them, making little corrections here and there and muttering to
himself. The Baron returned a minute later and handed him three hundred pounds.
тАЬWell?тАЭ said the Baron eagerly. тАЬWhat do you think?тАЭ
тАЬWe have a lot of work to do,тАЭ said Gustave.
тАЬOh?тАЭ
Gustave pointed to a line on the paper. тАЬEither 5 times 7 equals 38, or Mary Pickford is going
to have feathers.тАЭ
тАЬBut if you change this notationhere ,тАЭ said the Baron, pointing to another of Gustave's
scribblings, тАЬshe not only won't have feathers, she'll be bald as an egg.тАЭ
тАЬIt's only fitting,тАЭ said Gustave, тАЬsincethis equation will eliminate her arms and legs.тАЭ
Ivor kind of signaled to me, and I walked over to him.
тАЬI know better than to interrupt the master when he's like this,тАЭ he said, тАЬso I will pay you what
we owe you.тАЭ He slipped me a wad of bills. тАЬThank you for your help, Doctor Jones.тАЭ
тАЬAny time, Brother Ivor,тАЭ I said, counting the money and then putting it away in my pocket.
тАЬWill you be staying in Bucharest?тАЭ he asked.
тАЬNo, I don't think so,тАЭ I said. тАЬFrom what I can see, the Baron's got the god biz pretty well