"Arkady & Boris Strugatsky - The Final Circle Of Paradise" - читать интересную книгу автора (Strugatski Arkady)

so that he could ask about Bykov, about the Trans-Pluto
expedition, about the new ships on which I too am behind the
times, but still know better than he, and so that he could
recollect the uprising and boast of his scars and his high
social position.... It would be most convenient if Peck did
have a high social position. It would be well if he were, for
example, a mayor....
A small darkish rotund individual in a white suit and a
round white hat set at a rakish angle approached deliberately,
wiping his lips with a dainty handkerchief. The hat was
equipped with a transparent green shade and a green ribbon on
which was stamped "Welcome." On his right earlobe glistened a
pendant radio.
"Welcome aboard," said the man.
"Hello," said I.
"A pleasure to have you with us. My name is Ahmad."
"And my name is Ivan," said I. "Pleased to make your
acquaintance."
We nodded to each other and regarded the tourists entering
the buses. They were happily noisy and the warm wind rolled
their discarded butts and crumpled candy wrappers along the
square. Ahmad's face bore a green tint from the light filtering
through his cap visor.
"Vacationers," he said. "Carefree and loud. Now they will
be taken to their hotels and will immediately rush off to the
beaches."
"I wouldn't mind a run on water skis," I observed.
"Really? I never would have guessed. There's nothing you
look less like than a vacationer."
"So be it," I said. "In fact I did come to work"
"To work? Well, that happens too, some do come to work
here. Two years back Jonathan Kreis came here to paint a
picture." He laughed. "Later there was an assault-and-battery
case in Rome, some papal nuncio was involved, can't remember
his name."
"Because of the picture?"
"No, hardly. He didn't paint a thing here. The casino was
where you could find him day or night. Shall we go have a
drink?"
"Let's. You can give me a few pointers."
"It's my pleasurable duty -- to give advice," said Ahmad.
We bent down simultaneously and both of us took hold of
the suitcase handle.
"It's okay -- I'll manage."
"No," countered Ahmad, "you are the guest and I the host.



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