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Robert A. Heinlein - A Comedy Of Justice
Atec Февраль 27 2008 02:52:13
Книга только для ознакомления
. What do you say?'
'I say You are trying to trick me.'
'Now that's not very kind. No tricks, Saint Alexander. You will be free to preach exactly as you please, no restrictions. Your title will be personal chaplain to Me', and Primate of Hell. You can devote the rest of your time as little or as much as you wish - to saving lost souls... and there are plenty of those here. Salary to be negotiated but not less than the incumbent, Pope Alexander the Sixth, a notoriously greedy soul. You*won't be pinched, I promise you. Well? How say you?'
`(Who's crazy? The Devil, or me? Or am I having another of those nightmares that have been dogging me lately?) 'Your Majesty, You have not mentioned anything I want.ґ
'Ah so? Everybody needs money. You're broke; you canґt stay in that fancy suite another day without finding a job.ґ He tapped the manuscript. 'This may bring in something, some day. Not soon. I'm not going to advance you anything on it; it might not sell. There, are too many I-Was-a-Prisoner-of-the-Evil-King extravaganzas on the market already these days.'
'Your Majesty, You have read my memoir; You know what I want.'
'Eh? Name it.'
'You know. My beloved. Margrethe Svensdatter Gunderson.'
He looked surprised. 'Didn't I send you a memo about that? She's not in Hell.'
I felt like a patient who has kept his chin up right up to the minute the biopsy comes back... and then can't accept the bad news
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