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

тАЬWhat, jealous Oberon!тАЭ the woman was bellowing. тАЬFairies, skip hence: I have foresworn his bed and
company.тАЭ

тАЬI will not talk to things!тАЭ

тАЬTell that nitwit,тАЭ Ensign Benson said over his shoulder, тАЬto stop talking into the microphone.тАЭ

Below, half the thingummies were skipping away, while the womanoid frowned up at Ensign Benson.
тАЬFairies, skip hence,тАЭ she repeated, even more loudly. тАЬThatтАЩs you, buster!тАЭ

Ensign Benson called, тАЬWhere are the human beings around here?тАЭ

тАЬNowhere in A Midsummer NightтАЩs Dream,тАЭ jealous Oberon told him, apparently exasperated.

тАЬI will not talk to things!тАЭ

тАЬAll right,тАЭ disgusted Oberon said, тАЬletтАЩs go, troupe.тАЭ As his whatsits and flumadiddles obediently
slopped off, he turned back to call, тАЬAnd I suppose that spaceship of yours is an example of kitchen sink
realism!тАЭ

The entire crowd shuffled away. They appeared to be removing wings and heads and appendages as
they went, almost as though they were costumes; and 40 feet from the ship, they stepped around a
curtain of air, one after the other, and disappeared.

Ensign Benson blinked. тАЬOh, boy,тАЭ he said.

The captain and Billy came out onto the platform, the captain saying,тАЭ Where did everybody go?тАЭ

тАЬUm,тАЭ said Ensign Benson.

тАЬThose were really keen creatures,тАЭ Billy said.

тАЬAnd what a beautiful day, the captain said, gazing skyward, stepping back from the ship, the better to
view the empyrean. тАЬIs it morning here or after---Aak!тАЭ

тАЬAnother aak,тАЭ Ensign Benson moodily said, watching the captain tumble down the stairs to land in a
dusty heap at the bottom.

тАЬKybee, look!тАЭ said Billy.

Ensign Benson followed BillyтАЩs pointing finger. There in the middle of the field, an invisible curtain of air
was lifting to reveal what seemed to be a house with its side wall torn away. In the kitchen, a woman
wearing a slip stood wearily at her ironing board. In the living room, a man in a torn T-shirt sprawled on a
sofa and drank beer.

Captain Standforth had picked himself up and was brushing himself off. Ensign Benson started down the
ladder, intent on finding out what was going on here, and Billy came after. Above, Pam Stokes and
Hester Hanshaw came tentatively out to the platform, Pam looking at the oddly sliced house and saying,
тАЬDid they miss a mortgage payment?тАЭ