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

likely to cause His Excellency to break out in a rash or worse is the synthetic fiber used in clothing,
virtually all kinds of synthetics. You see the problem?"

Hewlitt nodded. The ambassador's underwear, shirts, ties, and socks would have to be made from pure
wool, cotton, or real silk; the suiting materials would have to be woolen worsted and, for the casuals,
Harris or Irish Thornproof tweed. Bone buttons would be required and zip fasteners made from metal
rather than nylon. Trimmings, the canvas stiffening, the wadding for shaping and softening the outlines
would also have to be non-synthetic; and the thread used to hold everything together would have to be
the old-style sewing cotton rather than nylon thread. He could see the problem, all right, and like most big
problems this one was composed of a lot of little ones.

"One of the reasons why you were chosen for this job," said Fox, "was that you were old-fashioned
enough in your ideas to keep such things in stock. But frankly, I was worried in case you would be too
old-fashioned to react properly toward an...unusual...client. As it happened, you showed no sign of
xenophobia whatsoever."

"I used to read a lot of science fiction, before it became too soft-centered," Hewlitt said dryly. Then he
turned to Scrennagle. "I shall require additional measurements, sir, since I shall be building something a
little more ambitious than a blanket. And it will be necessary to draft patterns for the garments as I go
along. Making up, fitting, and finishing will take time if the work is to be done properly. I shall therefore
board up the broken pane and attach a notice saying that I am closed for alterations...." He looked along
Scrennagle's extraterrestrial body contours and thought, There will probably he a lot of alterations.
"And I shall, of course, work on this order exclusively. But I cannot see it being completed in less than
ten days."

"You have twelve days," said Fox, looking relieved. "I shall have the broken pane replaced as soon as
possible. During our investigation your shop front was photographed, so we shall be able to reproduce
the gold lettering. After all, the breakage was indirectly my fault."

"I venture to disagree," Scrennagle broke in. "As the prime cause of the trouble, I would be obliged, Mr.
Hewlitt, if you would allow me to replace the glass from material in my ship as a memento of my visit.
The material is transparent and proof against both meteorite collisions and minor emotional disturbances."

"You are very kind, sir," said Hewlitt, laughing, "I accept." He wrote on the measurement pad, From
center back to waist, 35 inches.

It took nearly three hours to complete the job to his satisfaction, including a half-hour's discussion
regarding the musculature and jointing of the limbs and torso and the provision needed to give comfort as
well as style to the garments, particularly in the areas of the neck, chest, armpits, and crotch.

When Scrennagle and Fox left, Hewlitt locked the door and climbed the stairs past his first-floor
stock-rooms to the flat above to break the news to his wife.

Mrs. Hewlitt had been a virtual cripple since a street accident eighteen years earlier. She could walk
about the flat for three hours a day without too much discomfort, and these hours she saved for the
evening meal and for talking to her husband afterwards. The rest of the time she spent rolling about the
flat in her wheelchair, tidying, cooking, seeing if there was work for her to do, or sleeping, which she did
not do very well even at night.

He told her about his extraterrestrial client, and of the necessity for keeping the matter a close secret for