George Martin R.R.

Starport


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VITAL

      IMPORTANT, OF

      FLIGHT ACHIEVEMENT

      DESTINATION,

      PARAMETERS

      FUNCTION WORKING

      TOP TIPS.

      JUST

      HUMOR US,

      OKAY?

      AHHHH!

      HUMOR

      FUNNY HA-HA.

      HOKAY!

      SPECIES 26,

      91, AND 214

      WALK INTO TAVERN

      SALOON BAR.

      SALOON

      TENDER PROPRIETOR

      SPEAKS REMARKS,

      SAYING...

      DID YOUR

      SPORE FALL FROM

      ITS BRANCH BEFORE

      SUN’S ZENITH? YES!

      ENJOYMENT!

      THE POLICE

      ARE HERE!

      STEP ASIDE,

      PLEASE. MOVE

      ASIDE.

      WHAT’S THE

      PROBLEM?

      WHAT THE

      HELL TOOK YOU

      SO LONG?

      THE POLICE...

      THANK YOU,

      JESUS!

      UH-OH.

      ANGELS.

      WORSE.

      MAROON

      CADRE.

      DO YOU

      CHAMPION THESE

      THIEVES?

      UH, YES.

      WE DO. WHAT

      SEEMS TO BE THE

      PROBLEM?

      SHE’S

      CRAZY!

      SHE PULLED

      THAT LASER KNIFE

      THINGY ON MY

      HUSBAND, THEN

      TRIED TO TAKE

      OUR PHONE!

      STILL YOUR

      TONGUE, HUMAN...

      OR DIE BESIDE

      YOUR MATE!

      YOU HEARD

      HER. ARREST

      THEM!

      HOW

      DARE

      THEY?

      EARTH

      FIRST!

      CAREFUL,

      SHE’S GOT ONE

      OF THEM SWORD-

      STICKS!

      SETTLE DOWN,

      ROOKIE. NOW, DO

      ME A FAVOR AND

      HANDLE THE

      CROWD.

      WILL

      EVERYBODY

      JUST SHUT UP AND

      CALM DOWN FOR

      A MOMENT?

      HI THERE,

      SIR. I’M OFFICER

      ERNIE MANNING. MAY

      I SEE YOUR PHONE,

      PLEASE?

      VERY NICE.

      WHERE YOU FOLKS

      FROM?

      I...IOWA.

      WE’RE ON

      VACATION...

      AND HOW

      CLOSE DID YOU

      GET WHILE TAKING

      PICTURES OF

      THEM?

      I...THEY’RE

      SO TALL AND

      COLORFUL! AND

      WE’VE NEVER

      SEEN...

      ALIENS

      BEFORE.

      NO.

      AH.

      THERE

      IT IS.

      LOOKS LIKE YOU FOLKS

      DIDN’T GET THROUGH YOUR

      NEW-SPECIES-INTERACTION

      PAMPHLET AT THE AIRPORT, HUH?

      MISSED THE BIT ABOUT HOW

      SERIOUSLY THESE GUYS

      TAKE THEIR PERSONAL

      SPACE?

      DO YOU

      MIND IF I ERASE

      YOUR PHOTOS AND

      TURN OFF YOUR

      PHONE, SIR?

      YES! YES, OF COURSE! WHATEVER YOU NEED, OFFICER.

      THERE, I’VE

      ERASED ALL

      THE IMAGES. THEY

      ARE TOTALLY

      IRRETRIEVABLE.

      IS HONOR

      SATISFIED?

      NO. THE

      THEFT IS UNDONE,

      YET THE INSULT

      STILL STANDS.

      TELL THE

      NICE LADY

      YOU’RE SORRY.

      I DIDN’T...

      THESE ARE

      NHAR, SIR. ANGELS.

      IF YOU HAD READ

      YOUR PAMPHLET,

      YOU’D KNOW THAT BY

      STEPPING INTO HER

      PATH AND TAKING THAT

      UNFLATTERING PHOTO,

      YOU’VE INADVERTENTLY

      STOLEN HER SPACE

      AND “BESMIRCHED”

      HER IMAGE.

      I DIDN’T

      KNOW! I DIDN’T

      MEAN TO...I’M SORRY!

      SO SORRY. I’LL READ

      THE PAMPHLET AT

      THE HOTEL. I

      PROMISE!

      YOU HEARD

      HIM. HE DIDN’T MEAN

      ANYTHING. HE’S SORRY.

      AND HE’S NOT EVEN

      ARMED. LOOK

      AT HIM!

      THIS APOLOGY

      IS A POOR THING,

      AND YET I WILL

      HEAR IT.

      BUT,

      SHOULD IT

      HAPPEN

      AGAIN...

       NAH-TO!

      TREASURE

      THIS