"Jack Vance - The Many Worlds of Magnus Ridolph" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vance Jack)

its trees and neo-classic villa. A magnificent blue sky extended overhead; and beneath his feet, under the
glass floor of the jetty, lay Coral Canyon, with schools of sea-moths flashing and flickering like metal
snowflakes. Magnus Ridolph sipped his liqueur and considered a memorandum from his bank describing
a condition barely distinguishable from poverty.

He had been perhaps too trusting with his money. A few months previously, the Outer Empire Investment
and Realty Society, to which he had entrusted a considerable sum, had been found to be bankrupt. The
Chairman of the Board and the General Manager, a Mr. See and a Mr. Holpers, had been paying each
other unexpectedly large salaries, most of which had been derived from Magnus Ridolph's capital
investment.

Magnus Ridolph sighed, glanced at his liqueur. This would be the last of these; hereafter he must drink
vin ordinaire, a fluid rather like tarragon vinegar, prepared from the fermented rind of a local cactus.

A waiter approached. "A lady wishes to speak to you, sir."

Magnus Ridolph preened his neat white beard. "Show her over, by all means."

The waiter returned; Magnus Ridolph's eyebrows went S-shape as he saw his guest: a woman of
commanding pressence, with an air of militant and dignified virtue. Her interest in Magnus Ridolph was
clearly professional.

She came to an abrupt halt. "You are Mr. Magnus Ridolph?"

He bowed. "Will you sit down?"

The woman rather hesitantly took a seat. "Somehow, Mr. Ridolph, I expected someone more - well. . ."

Magnus Ridolph's reply was urbane. "A younger man, perhaps? With conspicuous biceps, a gun on his
hip, a space helmet on his head? Or perhaps my beard alarms you?"

"Well, not exactly that, but my business - "

"Ah, you came to me in a professional capacity?"

"Well, yes. I would say so."




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 THE MANY WORLDS OF MAGNUS RIDOLPH by Jack Vance

In spite of the memorandum from his bank - which now he folded and tucked into his pocket - Magnus
Ridolph spoke with decision. "If your business requires feats of physical prowess, I beg you hire
elsewhere. My janitor might satisfy your needs: an excellent chap who engages his spare time moving bar-
bells from one elevation to another."

"No, no," said the woman hastily. "I'm sure you misunderstand; I merely pictured a different sort of
individ-ual..."