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

тАЬActually, Mr. President,тАЭ Councilman Luthguster said, puffing himself up, тАЬWeтАЩre from Earth, and we
wish to---тАЭ

тАЬWell, of course you are,тАЭ the President said. Picking up a document from his desk, he said, тАЬI have a
proclamation here in honor of your voyage and return. тАШWhereas, in the course of human eventsтАжтАЩтАЭ

Through the window behind the desk, the Washington Monument could be seen; but through the open
doorway to the left, the same old dusty plain was visible. A group of people in overalls and sweatbands
wheeled a Trojan horse by. Two women in straw hats and tuxedos bucked and wung the other way.

The proclamation ran its course. At its finish, Councilman Luthguster squared his round shoulders and
said, тАЬMr. President, I am empowered by the Galactic Council---тАЭ

Approaching Ensign Benson, the President firmly shook his hand and said, тАЬCaptain, your voyage into
the unknown makes this the most important day in all creation.тАЭ

тАЬSir,тАЭ said Captain Standforth, тАЬIтАЩm the captain.тАЭ

тАЬYou,тАЭ the President reminded him, тАЬare the captainтАЩs best friend.тАЭ Turning to Pam Stokes, he said, тАЬAnd
you are the shipтАЩs biologist.тАЭ

тАЬActually,тАЭ Pam said, тАЬIтАЩm the astrogator. I donтАЩt think weтАЩd need a biologist on a---тАЭ

тАЬOf course you do.тАЭ Irritation seeped through the Presidential manner. тАЬHow else do we discover the
killer virus thatтАЩs taken over the crewтАЩs bodies?тАЭ

тАЬWait a minute,тАЭ Ensign Benson said. тАЬYou arenтАЩt the President: youтАЩre pretending to be the President.
This is a play!тАЩ

тАЬWell, of course it is!тАЭ the President cried! тАЬAnd this is the worst rehearsal I have ever participated in!тАЭ

Luthguster harrumphed. тАЬDo you mean to say,тАЭ he demanded, тАЬthat you are not empowered to deal on a
primary level with a plenipotentiary from Earth?тАЭ

Frowning, the president said, тАЬ Have you come unglued, fella?тАЭ

Ensign Benson muttered, тАЬDirector-no. Producer-no.тАЭ Snapping his fingers, he said to the President,
тАЬTake me to your stage manager.тАЭ



The man sat atop a six foot wooden ladder. Behind him were three rows of kitchen chairs, several
occupied by solemn-faced people wearing their Sunday best. The man on the ladder said, тАЬIтАЩm the stage
manager here. I guess I know just about everything there is to know about our townтАж.тАЭ



The captain and the crew sat by the side of the dusty road. Billy took his boot off and looked in it.
Councilman Luthguster, marching back and forth, announced, тАЬThis is absurd! These people canтАЩt spend
all their time play acting. They must have a government, an infrastructure. How do they get their food?тАЭ