"Donald Westlake - SH4 - The World's A Stage" - читать интересную книгу автора (Westlake Donald E)

plastoak arm of his chair. тАЬJ. Rainsford Farnsworth would be about five hundred and forty-three by now,
and thatтАЩs old even for an actor.тАЭ



Gathered around the air lock were two thirds of the HopefulтАЩs complement: Captain Standforth,
Astrogator Stokes, Lieutenant Shelby and Chief Engineer Hestor Hanshaw, a stocky blunt woman with a
stocky blunt manner, who was saying, тАЬI didnтАЩt like that thump. Bad for the engines.тАЭ

тАЬI didnтАЩt like it either,тАЭ Captain Standforth told her. тАЬMade me cut myself.тАЭ He showed her the scratched
finger.

Hester, the closest thing they had to a shipтАЩs doctor, frowned at the scratch a millisecond, then said,
тАЬpaint a little antirust compound on it. Be good as new.тАЭ

Bemused, the captain gazed at his finger. тАЬAre you sure?тАЭ

Ensign Benson and Councilman Luthguster joined the group, and Billy armed the councilman with his
microphone, тАЬItтАЩs all set, тАЬ he said. тАЬJust talk straight into it.тАЭ

тАЬFine.тАЭ

тАЬNot yet,тАЭ Ensign Benson said.

The councilman stepped out onto the small platform suspended halfway up the side of the ship, and his
amplified voice rolled out over a dusty landscape reminiscent of certain sections of Eastern Oklahoma in
early June.
тАЬCitizens of J. Railsford Farnsworth Repertory com---Ack!тАЭ

Inside the ship, Ensign Benson frowned. тАЬAck?тАЭ

Councilman Luthguster bundled hastily back into the ship like a stockbroker into the bar car. тАЬThose
arenтАЩt people! TheyтАЩre, theyтАЩre things!тАЭ

тАЬStop talking into the microphone,тАЭ Ensign Benson said.

Billy looked out the air lock. тАЬOh, Wow! Cute bug-eyed monsters!тАЭ

тАЬWhat?тАЭ Stepping impatiently out onto the platform, Ensign Benson found himself gazing down on as
motley a collection of creatures as ever was lit by the same sun. Nonhuman to a fault but, as Billy had
said, cute. They were tiny round puffballs with human legs and wings and yellow wigs over fairy faces.
Tall, androgynous sprites in tights. Hoppers with humps. And in front of them stood a beautiful womanoid
with gauzy wings and a gauzy gown and long, pointed ears, and a big hairy manoid with a great purple
cloak and long feet that curled up into spirals at the end.

Loudly enough for Ensign Benson to hear, the manoid addressed the womanoid: тАЬIll met by moonlight,
proud Titania.тАЭ

In the doorway, the captain said, тАЬThat one over there looks like a bird, doesnтАЩt it?тАЭ
тАЬOh, I donтАЩt think so,тАЭ said Billy.