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World Of Ptavvs :: Нивен Ларри
Страница: 8 из 127Dolphin laughter. He ended the performance by jetting straight out of the water and landing on his belly. "Has my accent improved?"
Larry decided there was no point in trying to brush off the water. It had soaked through to his skin. "Come to think of it, yes, it has. It's much better."
Charley switched to dolphinese, or to pidgin dolphinese, which is dolphinese scaled down to the human range of hearing. The rest of his conversation came in a chorus of squeaks, grunts, ear-splitting whistles, and other extremely rude noises. "When's our next session, mind buddy?"
Larry was busy squeezing water out of his hair. "I don't know, exactly, Charley. Probably a few weeks. I've been asked to take on another assignment. You'll have time to talk to your colleagues, pass on whatever you've learned about us walkers from reading my mind."
"You sure you want me to do that? Seriously, Larrry, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Squeak on."
Charley deliberately speeded up his delivery. Nobody but Larry Greenberg could have followed the rapid chorus of barnyard sounds. "What's chances of a dolphin getting aboard the Lazy Eight III?"
"Huh? To Jinx? Jinx's ocean is a foot deep in scum!"
"Oh, that's right. Well, some other world, then."
"Why would a dolphin be interested in space travel?"
"Why would a walker? No, that's not an honorable question. I think the truth is you've given me the space bug, Larrry;"
A slow grin spread across Larry's urchin face. He found it curiously hard to answer. "It's a damn contagious disease, and hard to get rid of."
"Yes."
"I'll think about it, Charley. Eventually you'll have to contact the UN about it, but give me time first. We'd have to carry a lot of water, you know. Much heavier than air."
"So I've been told."
"Give me some time. I've got to go practically right now."
"But-"
"Sorry, Charley. Duty calls. Dr. Jansky made it sound like the opportunity of the decade. Now roll over."
"Tyrant," hissed Charley, which isn't easy. But he rolled over on his back. The three men spent a few minutes rubbing his belly. Then Larry had to leave. Momentarily he wondered if Charley would have any trouble assimilating his memories. But there was no danger; at the low contact power they'd been using, Charley could forget the whole experience if he had to. Including the conquest of space.
Which would be a shame.
That night he and Judy had dinner with Dr. and Mrs. Dorcas Jansky. Dr.
Larry decided there was no point in trying to brush off the water. It had soaked through to his skin. "Come to think of it, yes, it has. It's much better."
Charley switched to dolphinese, or to pidgin dolphinese, which is dolphinese scaled down to the human range of hearing. The rest of his conversation came in a chorus of squeaks, grunts, ear-splitting whistles, and other extremely rude noises. "When's our next session, mind buddy?"
Larry was busy squeezing water out of his hair. "I don't know, exactly, Charley. Probably a few weeks. I've been asked to take on another assignment. You'll have time to talk to your colleagues, pass on whatever you've learned about us walkers from reading my mind."
"You sure you want me to do that? Seriously, Larrry, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Squeak on."
Charley deliberately speeded up his delivery. Nobody but Larry Greenberg could have followed the rapid chorus of barnyard sounds. "What's chances of a dolphin getting aboard the Lazy Eight III?"
"Huh? To Jinx? Jinx's ocean is a foot deep in scum!"
"Oh, that's right. Well, some other world, then."
"Why would a dolphin be interested in space travel?"
"Why would a walker? No, that's not an honorable question. I think the truth is you've given me the space bug, Larrry;"
A slow grin spread across Larry's urchin face. He found it curiously hard to answer. "It's a damn contagious disease, and hard to get rid of."
"Yes."
"I'll think about it, Charley. Eventually you'll have to contact the UN about it, but give me time first. We'd have to carry a lot of water, you know. Much heavier than air."
"So I've been told."
"Give me some time. I've got to go practically right now."
"But-"
"Sorry, Charley. Duty calls. Dr. Jansky made it sound like the opportunity of the decade. Now roll over."
"Tyrant," hissed Charley, which isn't easy. But he rolled over on his back. The three men spent a few minutes rubbing his belly. Then Larry had to leave. Momentarily he wondered if Charley would have any trouble assimilating his memories. But there was no danger; at the low contact power they'd been using, Charley could forget the whole experience if he had to. Including the conquest of space.
Which would be a shame.
That night he and Judy had dinner with Dr. and Mrs. Dorcas Jansky. Dr.