Книга только для ознакомления
. No prize is offered for
the correct answer."
"By rocket." "Of course. A prospector's jumpbug being the type of rocket.
You remember that Jinx Henderson was planning to return that fez for you
via some friend of his who was jumping his bug to L-City?"
"Yes, of course."
"Gretchen went with that friend and returned the fez herself. She dropped
it at lost-and-found in Old Dome just before she came to the Raffles to find
us."
"I see. But why?"
"She wants you to paddle her bottom, dear, and turn it all pink."
"Oh, nonsense! I meant, 'Why did her daddy let her hitchhike to L-City with
this neighbor?' She's much too young."
"He let her do so for the usual reason. Jinx is a big, strong, macho man
who can't resist the wheedling of his daughter. Forbidden to satisfy his
suppressed incestuous yearnings he lets her have anything she wants if she
teases him long enough."
"That's ridiculous. And inexcusable. A father's duty toward his daughter
requires that-"
"Richard. How many daughters do you have?"
"Eh? None. But-"
"So shut up about something you know nothing about. No matter what Jinx
should have done, the fact is that Gretchen left Dry Bones about as we were
having lunch. Counting time of flight, that put her at City Lock East around the
time we left the Warden's Complex... and she arrived at the Raffles just seconds
before we did-and a good thing, too, or you and I would be dead
|
