"James White - Custom Fitting" - читать интересную книгу автора (White James)

wear some kind of decoration or award," he went on seriously, "but preferably one that has not simply
been invented for the occasion. Can you suggest something which might be suitable, sir?"

Scrennagle was silent for a moment, then he said, "My race has no equivalent of these awards, except
possibly the translator which is necessary to the performance of my work. There is a somewhat larger
version, decorated with the Federation symbol, which is worn when more than one translation has to be
handled at the same time. But these, also, are merely the tools of our profession."

"But it is not a common profession, surely?"

"It is not," said Scrennagle. The expression which twisted the alien features might have been one of pride.

"Would you have any objections to displaying this device on a colored ribbon?"

"No objections."

"Thank you, sir," Hewlitt said. He went on briskly, "The morning wear will be ready for collection before
breakfast time on the day required, and the evening wear in the afternoon of the same day. Your
walking-out suits and accessories, which will not be required until your list of formal visits is complete,
will be much easier to make as a result of experience gained with the first garmentsтАФ"

"Which will be," said Fox very firmly, "a well-cut and tastefully decorated blanket."

Hewlitt pretended to ignore him as he said, "You may trust me, sir."

"I am trusting you, Mr. Hewlitt, more than any other person on this planet...."
Long after they had gone, Hewlitt thought about Scrennagle's parting remark. While his wife and he
worked on the recutting and finishing of the first outfit, he worried. Was he being a stupid,
self-opinionated, sartorial snob or did he really have the right to dictate to Scrennagle as he had been
doing?

The ambassador was an extremely important being who was, in the way of all representatives of other
governments, anxious to make a good impression. But he would also be receiving impressions, favorable
or otherwise, from the people he was meeting. Being realistic about it, the latter impressions were the
more important as far as the human race was concerned. In all probability Scrennagle was important
enough to make the decision whether his world and the rest of the Federation maintained contact with
Earth or left it strictly alone.

And this was the being that he, a conceited and impoverished little tailor, was going to dress for the most
important occasion in human history. He was, of course, going to dress him to the best of his ability; but
the media were fond of poking fun at VIPs. Given half a chance, they would tear Scrennagle apart; and
the ambassador would go away and neither he nor his friends would ever return to the place where the
people lacked manners and where the Federation representative had been made to look a fool.

Many times while he was reopening a seam to remove an unsightly fullness or while giving the pockets the
swelled edges that were his own particular signature on a suit, he thought about putting aside the work for
the few hours necessary for him to make a blanket. He thought about it long and seriously, but he kept
working on the job in hand while he was making up his mind. When he and his wife went to bed in the
early hours of the following morning and arose to resume work a short time later, he still had not made up
his mind.