"William Tenn - Child's Play" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tenn William)

bearing the above or re-lated name has recently made known its intention of joining your community. This
inquiry is being made informally on behalf of a client who is interested in a product of this organization
whose address he has mislaid. Signature and then this P.S.тАФMy client is also curious as to the business
possibilities of a street known as Diagonal Avenue or Diagonal Level. Any data on this address and the
organizations presently located there will be greatly appreciated."
Tina batted wide blue eyes at him. "Oh, Sam," she breathed, ignoring the formality he had
introduced, "oh, Sam, you have another client. I'm so glad. He looked a little sinister, but in such a
distinguished manner that I was certainтАФ"
"Who? Who looked a little sinister?"
"Why, your new client." Sam had the uncomfortable feeling that she had almost added "stupid."
"When I came in this morning, there was this terribly tall old man in a long black overcoat talking to the
elevator operator. He turned to meтАФthe eleva-tor operator, I meanтАФand said, 'This is Mr. Weber's
secretary. She'll be able to tell you anything you want to know.' Then he sort of winked, which I thought
was sort of impolite, you know, considering. Then this old man looked at me hard and I felt distinctly
uncomfortable and he walked away muttering 'Either disjointed or preda-tory personalities. Never
normal. Never balanced.' Which I didn't think was very polite, either, I'll have you know, if he is your
new client!" She sat back and began breathing again.
Tall, sinister old men in long, black overcoats pumping the elevator operator about him. Hardly a
matter of business. He had no skeletons in his personal closet. Could it be connected with his unusual
Christmas present? Sam hummed mentally.
"тАФbut she is my favorite aunt, you know," Tina was saying. "And she came in so unexpectedly."
The girl was explaining about their Christmas date. Sam felt a rush of affection for her as she leaned
forward.
"Don't bother," he told her. "I knew you couldn't help breaking the date. I was a little sore when you
called me, but I got over it; never-hold-a-grudge-against-a-pretty-girl-Sam, I'm known as. How about
lunch?"
"Lunch?" She gestured distractedly. "I promised Lew, Mr. Knight, that isтАФBut he wouldn't mind if
you came along."
"Fine. Let's go." This would be helping Lew to a spoonful of his own medicine.


Lew Knight took the business of having a crowd instead of a party for lunch as badly as Sam hoped
he would. Unfortunately, Lew was able to describe details of his forth-coming case, the probable fees
and possible distinction to be reaped thereof. After one or two attempts to bring an interesting will he
was rephrasing for Somerset & Ojack into the conversation, Sam subsided into daydreams. Lew
immediately dropped Rosenthal v. Rosenthal and leered at Tina conversationally.
Outside the restaurant, snow discolored into slush. Most of the stores were re-moving Christmas
displays. Sam noticed construction sets for children, haloed by tinsel and glittering with artificial snow.
Build a radio, a skyscraper, an airplane. But "Only with a Bild-A-Man can youтАФ"
"I'm going home," he announced suddenly. "Something important I just remem-bered. If anything
comes up, call me there."
He was leaving Lew a clear field, he told himself, as he found a seat on the subway. But the bitter
truth was that the field was almost as clear when he was around as when he wasn't. Lupine Lew Knight,
he had been called in law school; since the day when he had noticed that Tina had the correct
proportions of dress-filling substance, Sam's chances had been worth a crowbar at Fort Knox.
Tina hadn't been wearing his brooch today. Her little finger, right hand, however, had sported an
unfamiliar and garish little ring. "Some got it," Sam philosophized. "Some don't got it. I don't got it."
But it would have been nice, with Tina, to have got it.
As he unlocked the door of his room he was surprised by an unmade bed telling with rumpled
stoicism of a chambermaid who'd never come. This hadn't happened beforeтАФOf course! He'd never