"Mike Resnick - The Long and Short of It" - читать интересную книгу автора (Resnick Mike)

Mallory shook his head. "No, I've only been here a couple of years."

"Where are you from?"

"Manhattan."

"But this is Manhattan."

"This is the Manhattan that people in my Manhattan can sometimes see out of the corner of their eye, but
when they turn to face it it's not there."

"So how did you get here?"

"It's a long story.* I assume I can contact you at the circus?"

Macro shook his head unhappily. "We've been fired. You can find us at Joyful Jessie's Bulgarian Pizzaria
and Flophouse."

"Third room on the right," added Micro. "Knock first."

"Why bother?" said Macro unhappily. "There's no door."

"It kind of makes up for all the boards over the window," said Micro.

"It's on the corner of Sloth and Despair," said Macro.

"I'm sure I can find it," said Mallory. "I'll be in touch as soon as I learn anything."

"Almost anything," said Perriwinkle. Mallory turned to the mirror. "After all," it continued, "you're going
to learn the story of the explorer and the three belly dancers. I'm sure that these gentlemen couldn't care
less about it."

"I don't know about that," said Macro, stopping at the door. "Is it dirty?"

"Filthy."

Macro slipped another five dollars to Mallory. "Remember to tell it to me next time we meet," he said,
and then he and Micro walked out into the night.



"So what do you think?" said Mallory as he finished explaining the case to his partner.

Winnifred Carruthers brushed a wisp of gray hair back from her pudgy face. "The circus is clearly the
place to start," she replied. "Our clients seem to have been so busy making enemies there I wouldn't think
they've had time to make them anywhere else." She looked at him suspiciously. "Why do you have that
strange expression on your face, John Justin?"

"There's a circus filled to overflowing with suspects, and we've only got four days," he replied. "I was