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

"I am inquiring: what is this monument?"
The man glared at the statue. The smoke came thicker out
of the holes. There was more powerful hissing.
"Vladimir Yurkovsky," he read, "Fifth of December, Year of
the Scales... aha... December... so - it must be some German."
"And who put up the monument?"
"I don't know," said the man. "But it's written down right
there. What's it to you?"
"I was an acquaintance of his," I explained.
"Well then, why do you ask? Ask the man himself."
"He is dead."
"Aah... Maybe they buried him here?"
"No," I said, "he is buried far away."
"Where?"
"Far away. What's that thing he is holding?"
"What thing? It's an eroula."
"What?"
"I said, an eroula. An electronic roulette."-
My eyes popped.
"What's a roulette doing here?"
"Where?"
"Here, on the statue."
"I don't know," said the man after some thought. "Maybe
your friend invented it?"
"Hardly," said I. "He worked in a different field."
"What was that?"
"He was a planetologist and an interplanetary pilot."
"Aah... well, if he invented it, that was bully for him.
It's a useful thing. I should remember it: Yurkovsky, Vladimir.
He must have been a brainy German."
"I doubt he invented it," I said. "I repeat - he was an
interplanetary pilot."
The man stared at me.
"Well, if he didn't invent it, then why is he standing
with it?"
"That's the point," I said. "I am amazed myself."
"You are a damn liar," said the man suddenly. "You lie and
you don't even know why you are lying. It's early morning, and
he is stoned already.... Alcoholic!"
He turned away and shuffled off, dragging his thin legs
and hissing loudly. I shrugged my shoulders, took a last look
at Vladimir Sergeyevitch, and set off toward the hotel, across
the huge plaza.
The gigantic doorman swung the door open for me and
sounded an energetic welcome.
I stopped.
"Would you be so kind," said I. "Do you know what that
monument is?"
The doorman looked toward the plaza over my head. His face
registered confusion.