"Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. The Final Circle of Paradise (англ.)" - читать интересную книгу автора

ladies' department. And do you know, they value her highly. But
last year she was late once and now she has to be very careful.
As you can see she could not even have a decent conversation
with you, but it's possible that a client is even now waiting
for her. You might not believe this, but she already has a
permanent clientele. Anyway, why are we standing here? The
croutons will get cold."
We entered the landlord's side. I tried with all my might
to conduct myself correctly, although I was a bit foggy as to
what exactly was correct. Aunt Vaina sat me down at a table,
excused herself, and left. I looked around. The room was an
exact copy of mine, except that the walls were rose instead of
blue, and beyond the window, in place of the sea was a small
yard with a low fence dividing it from the street. Aunt Vaina
came back with a tray bearing boiled cream and a plate of
croutons..
"You know," she said, "I think I will have some breakfast
too. My doctor does not recommend breakfast, especially with
boiled cream. But we became so accustomed... it was the
general's favorite breakfast. Do you know, I try to have only
men boarders. That nice Ahmad understands me very well. He
understands how much I need to sit just like this, now and
then, just as we are sitting, and have a cup of boiled cream."
"Your cream is wonderfully good," said I, not insincerely.
"Ach, Ivan." Aunt Vaina put down her cup and fluttered her
hands. "But you said that almost exactly like the major
general... Strange, you even look like him. Except that his
face was a bit narrower and he always had breakfast in his
uniform."
"Yes," I said with regret, "I don't have a uniform."
"But there was one once," said she coyly, shaking a finger
at me. "Of course! I can see it. It's so senseless! People
nowadays have to be ashamed of their military past. Isn't that
silly? But they are always betrayed by their bearing, that very
special manly carriage. You cannot hide it, Ivan!"
I made a very elaborate non-committal gesture, said, "Mm
- yes," and took another crouton.
"It's all so out of place, isn't that right?" continued
Aunt Vaina with great animation. "How can you confuse such two
opposite concepts - war and the army? We all detest war. War
is awful. My mother described it to me, she was only a girl,
but she remembers everything. Suddenly, without warning, there
they are - the soldiers, crude, alien, speaking a foreign
tongue, belching; and the officers, without any manners,
laughing loudly, annoying the chambermaids, and smelling -
forgive me; and that senseless commander's meeting hour... that
is war and it deserves every condemnation! But the army! That's
an altogether different affair! Surely you remember, Ivan, the
troops lined up by battalion, the perfection of the line, the
manliness of the faces under the helmets, shiny arms, sparkling