"Eric Frank Russell - Allamagoosa" - читать интересную книгу автора (Russell Eric Frank)

Blanchard looked and sniffed disdainfully. "I have here zee electronic oven, one of. I have jacketed
boilers, graduated capacities, one set. I have bain marie pans, seex of. But no offog. Never heard of
heem. I do not know of heem." He spread his hands and shrugged. "No offog."

"There's got to be," McNaught insisted. "What's more, when Cassidy arrives there'll be hell to pay if
there isn't."

"You find heem," Blanchard suggested.

"You got a certificate from the International Hotels School of Cookery. You got a certificate from the
Cordon Bleu College of Cuisine. You got a certificate with three credits from the Space-Navy Feeding
Center," McNaught pointed out. "All thatтАФand you don't know what an offog is."

"Nom d'un chien!" ejaculated Blanchard, waving his arms around. "I tell you ten t'ousand time zere is no
offog. Zere never was an offog. Escoffier heemself could not find zee offog of vich zere is none. Am I a
magician perhaps?"

"It's part of the culinary equipment," McNaught maintained. "It must be because it's on page nine. And
page nine means its proper home is in the galley, care of the head cook."

"Like hail it does," Blanchard retorted. He pointed at a metal box on the wall. "Intercom booster. Is zat
mine?"

McNaught thought it over, conceded, "No, it's Burman's. His stuff rambles all over the ship."

"Zen ask heem for zis bloody offog," said Blanchard, triumphantly.

"I will. If it's not yours, it must be his. Let's finish this checking first. If I'm not systematic and thorough
Cassidy will jerk off my insignia." His eyes sought the list. "V1099. Inscribed collar, leather, brass
studded, dog, for the use of. No need to look for that. I saw it myself five minutes ago." He ticked the
item, continued, "V1100. Sleeping basket, woven reed, one of."

"Is zis," said Blanchard, kicking it into a corner.

"V1101. Cushion, foam rubber, to fit sleeping basket, one of."

"Half of," Blanchard contradicted. "In four years he has chewed away other half."

"Maybe Cassidy will let us indent for a new one. It doesn't matter. We're okay so long as we can
produce the half we've got." McNaught stood up, closed the folder. "That's the lot for here. I'll go see
Burman about this missing item."

The inventory party moved on.




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