"Great Slow Kings, The" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zelazny Roger)

Roger Zelazny. The Great Slow Kings

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Drax and Dran sat in the great Throne Hall of Glan, discussing life.
Monarchs by virtue of superior intellect and physique--and the fact that
they were the last two survivors of the race of Glan--theirs was a divided
rule over the planet and their one subject, Zindrome, the palace robot.

Drax had been musing for the past four centuries (theirs was a sluggish
sort) over the possibility of life on other planets in the galaxy.

Accordingly, "Dran," said he, addressing the other (who was becoming
mildly curious as to his thoughts), "Dran, I've been thinking. There may be
life on other planets in the galaxy."

Dran considered his response to this, as the world wheeled several
times about its sun.

"True," he finally agreed, "there may."

After several months Drax shot back, "If there is, we ought to find
out."

"Why?" asked Dran with equal promptness, which caused the other to
suspect that he, too, had been thinking along these lines.

So he measured his next statement out cautiously, first testing each
word within the plated retort of his reptilian skull.

"Our kingdom is rather underpopulated at present," he observed. "It
would be good to have many subjects once more."

Dran regarded him askance, then slowly turned his head. He closed one
eye and half-closed the other, taking full stock of his co-ruler, whose
appearance, as he had suspected, was unchanged since the last time he had
looked.

"That, also, is true," he noted. "What do you suggest we do?"

This time Drax turned, reappraising him, eye to eye.

I think we ought to find out if there is life on other planets in the
galaxy."

"Hmm."

Two quick rounds of the seasons went unnoticed, then, "Let me think
about it," he said, and turned away.