"Mike Resnick - Tales Of The Galactic Midway 03 - The Wild Alien Tamer" - читать интересную книгу автора (Resnick Mike)

тАЬ I just got back from the training cage.тАЭ
тАЬ Did we have any luck with Monk's animals?тАЭ
тАЬ Not so's you'd notice it.тАЭ
Mr. Ahasuerus sighed heavily. тАЬ I feared as much. You know, Mr. Flint, this is simply not the way to build an
animal act.тАЭ
тАЬ Someone's been talking to you,тАЭ said Flint with a smile.
тАЬ For quite some time now,тАЭ admitted the blue man. тАЬ I have come to the conclusion that he is correct.тАЭ
тАЬ Me too,тАЭ agreed Flint. тАЬ Youtell him, though. I don't think I could stand to watch him gloat.тАЭ
тАЬ If you wish.тАЭ
Flint picked up an oddly-shaped and totally incomprehensible artifact from a hardwood table and toyed with it.
тАЬ Where do you plan to send him?тАЭ he asked at last.
тАЬ I thoughtyou might have some suggestions,тАЭ said Mr. Ahasuerus.
тАЬ You mean printable ones?тАЭ Flint took a sip of his beer and made a face.
тАЬ God, this stuff is terrible!тАЭ He wiped his mouth off, grimaced, and took another swallow. тАЬ See if you can't
find something really off the beaten trackтАФ maybe a couple of worlds that aren't even members of your
Community.тАЭ
тАЬ Is there any particular reason for that?тАЭ inquired the blue man. тАЬ And please be careful with that artifact. It's
quite irreplaceable.тАЭ
тАЬ I should hope so,тАЭ said Flint, placing it back on the table with obvious distaste. тАЬ I'd hate to think there were
two of them floating around the universe.тАЭ He looked up at his partner. тАЬ By this time Monk's seen just about
everything Kargennian and the others have to offer. Maybe he can find something more to his taste out in the
sticks.тАЭ He paused. тАЬ How much do we plan to spend?тАЭ
тАЬ For a good act, the sky's the limit.тАЭ
тАЬ Don't tellhim that; he'll take you at your word.тАЭ
тАЬ Shall we say a hundred thousand credits?тАЭ offered Mr. Ahasuerus.
тАЬ Shall we translate that intoreal money?тАЭ replied Flint wearily.
тАЬ About eighty-two thousand dollars.тАЭ
тАЬ That's too much.тАЭ
тАЬ We're taking in twice that much every night,тАЭ responded the blue man.
тАЬ I know,тАЭ said Flint. тАЬ Not bad for a joint that was almost bankrupt a year and a half agoтАФ especially when
you consider that they change the rules on us every time we hit a new world.тАЭ He shrugged. тАЬ Okay,
eighty-two thousand dollars it is.тАЭ He took another sip of his beer. тАЬ You know, if we give a guy like Monk that
much money and no time limit, we may never see him again. Tell him that wherever he is and whatever he's
doing, the robot pilot is bringing the ship home six months to the minute from now, empty or full.тАЭ
тАЬ Do you mean it?тАЭ asked the blue man.
тАЬ Of course not. But as long as Monk believes it, what's the difference?тАЭ
тАЬ You're an interesting man, Mr. Flint.тАЭ
тАЬ I'll assume that's a compliment, Mr. Ahasuerus,тАЭ said Flint ironically.
The blue man got to his feet. тАЬ I'd better go have a talk with Monk now.тАЭ
Flint shook his head. тАЬ Let him sweat a little. Come on,тАЭ he added, also rising. тАЬ I'll buy you a beer.тАЭ
тАЬ That's a very generous offer,тАЭ said Mr. Ahasuerus, тАЬ but I'm afraid my metabolism doesn'tтАФ тАЭ
тАЬ Neither does mine,тАЭ interrupted Flint. тАЬ But I figure if I make you drink enough of this stuff, you'll see to it that
the robots learn how to make it a little better.тАЭ
тАЬ You're all heart, Mr. Flint,тАЭ said the blue man glumly, as he followed his partner to the elevator.


Chapter 2
They're just a bunch of goddamned seals!тАЭ
Jupiter Monk, protected from the howling winds and subzero temperature of Beta Scuti XI by an oversized fur
coat, thick gloves and boots, and a plastic face mask, was looking down into an enormous pool from a