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The Stars My Destination ( Tiger! Tiger! ) :: Bester Alfred
Страница: 96 из 164Jaunte!»
CHAPTER TEN
AT THE COSTUME BALL in Shanghai, Fourmyle of Ceres electrified society by appearing as Death in Dürer's «Death and the Maiden» with a dazzling blonde creature clad in transparent veils. A Victorian society which stifled its women in purdah, and which regarded the 1920 gowns of the Peenemunde clan as excessively daring, was shocked, despite the fact that Robin Wednesbury was chaperoning the pair. But when Fourmyle revealed that the female was a magnificent android, there was an instant reversal of opinion in his favor. Society was delighted with the deception. The naked body, shameful in humans, was merely a sexless curiosity in androids.
At midnight, Fourmyle auctioned off the android to the gentlemen of the ball.
«The money to go to charity, Fourmyle?»
«Certainly not. You know my slogan: Not one cent for entropy. Do I hear a hundred credits for this expensive and lovely creature? One hundred, gentlemen? She's all beauty and highly adaptable. Two? Thank you. Three and a half? Thank you. I'm bid-Five? Eight? Thank you. Any more bids for this remarkable product of the resident genius of the Four Mile Circus? She walks. She talks. She adapts. She has been conditioned to respond to the highest bidder. Nine? Do I hear any more bids? Are you all done? Are you all through? Sold, to Lord Yale for nine hundred credits.»
Tumultuous applause and appalled ciphering: «An android like that must have cost ninety thousand! How can he afford it?»
«Will you turn the money over to the android, Lord Yale? She will respond suitably. Until we meet again in Rome, ladies and gentlemen .
The Borghese Palace at midnight. Happy New Year.»
Fourmyle had already departed when Lord Yale discovered, to the delight of himself and the other bachelors, that a double deception had been perpetrated. The android was, in fact, a living, human creature, all beauty and highly adaptable. She responded magnificently to nine hundred credits. The trick was the smoking room story of the year. The stags waited eagerly to congratulate Fourmyle.
But Foyle and Robin Wednesbury were passing under a sign that read:
«DOUBLE YOUR JAUNTING OR DOUBLE YOUR MONEY BACK»
in seven languages, and entering the emporium of «DR. SERGEI OREL, CELESTIAL ENLARGER OF CRANIAL CAPABILITIES.»
The waiting room was decorated with lurid brain charts demonstrating how Dr. Orel poulticed, cupped, balsamed, and electrolyzed the brain into double its capacity or double your money back.
CHAPTER TEN
AT THE COSTUME BALL in Shanghai, Fourmyle of Ceres electrified society by appearing as Death in Dürer's «Death and the Maiden» with a dazzling blonde creature clad in transparent veils. A Victorian society which stifled its women in purdah, and which regarded the 1920 gowns of the Peenemunde clan as excessively daring, was shocked, despite the fact that Robin Wednesbury was chaperoning the pair. But when Fourmyle revealed that the female was a magnificent android, there was an instant reversal of opinion in his favor. Society was delighted with the deception. The naked body, shameful in humans, was merely a sexless curiosity in androids.
At midnight, Fourmyle auctioned off the android to the gentlemen of the ball.
«The money to go to charity, Fourmyle?»
«Certainly not. You know my slogan: Not one cent for entropy. Do I hear a hundred credits for this expensive and lovely creature? One hundred, gentlemen? She's all beauty and highly adaptable. Two? Thank you. Three and a half? Thank you. I'm bid-Five? Eight? Thank you. Any more bids for this remarkable product of the resident genius of the Four Mile Circus? She walks. She talks. She adapts. She has been conditioned to respond to the highest bidder. Nine? Do I hear any more bids? Are you all done? Are you all through? Sold, to Lord Yale for nine hundred credits.»
Tumultuous applause and appalled ciphering: «An android like that must have cost ninety thousand! How can he afford it?»
«Will you turn the money over to the android, Lord Yale? She will respond suitably. Until we meet again in Rome, ladies and gentlemen .
The Borghese Palace at midnight. Happy New Year.»
Fourmyle had already departed when Lord Yale discovered, to the delight of himself and the other bachelors, that a double deception had been perpetrated. The android was, in fact, a living, human creature, all beauty and highly adaptable. She responded magnificently to nine hundred credits. The trick was the smoking room story of the year. The stags waited eagerly to congratulate Fourmyle.
But Foyle and Robin Wednesbury were passing under a sign that read:
«DOUBLE YOUR JAUNTING OR DOUBLE YOUR MONEY BACK»
in seven languages, and entering the emporium of «DR. SERGEI OREL, CELESTIAL ENLARGER OF CRANIAL CAPABILITIES.»
The waiting room was decorated with lurid brain charts demonstrating how Dr. Orel poulticed, cupped, balsamed, and electrolyzed the brain into double its capacity or double your money back.