"David Brin - Fourth Vacation of George Gustaf" - читать интересную книгу автора (Brin David)

screening hundreds of amateur financiers every year... each trying to convince the
judges to award him the "second hat."
And now Hamilton had almost certainly won one of his own. Dr. George Gustaf
wasn't the only man talented enough to attain more than one vocation!
He had to admit that the Gustaf fellow had class. The man was taking the growing
public attention with remarkable calm. He had even invited Hamilton to a special
meeting of the Bath and Garter, somehow leaving Hamilton with the feeling that he
had been done a great honor.
Clan leaders from all over the world had flown in for the meeting. Many of the
men and women were clearly skilled professionals, and most were obviously worried
about the growing notoriety. But Gustaf had appeared unconcerned, radiating an
assurance that soon calmed the others.
Hamilton had been disappointed in the ritualistic aspects of the meeting. There
weren't even any of the funny hats or arcane symbols of his own Loyal Order. There
was some mild bowing and an occasional sheepish "my lord"... but nothing kinky at
all.
Still, underlying it all were subtleties that Hamilton took note of... attitudinal cues
he carefully recorded. Something very unusual was going on here. The members of
this group took it all quite a bit more seriously than participants in a normal ritual
club. He had left the gathering with more than just a pile of notes.
"I've transcribed my impressions of the meeting," he told the android. "Have you
finished your historical survey?"
Dan's translucent head bobbed in assent. "I have, Hamilton. And I think the
history will make an ideal introduction to our book. I will try to write up a lucid
description of what a monarchy was. A lot of people who never took up the right
avocations won't have heard of it."
"Good idea." That would save Hamilton a lot of time. Already the members of his
basketball team were complaining because he was neglecting his athletic hobby.
Success was commendable, they reminded him quite rightly, but obsession was
illegal.
"Did you uncover anything interesting?"
"Yes, Hamilton. I found that the records shown us by Dr. Gustaf were genuine.
When I showed them to the AAA-class androids at the records division they became
quite interested. Apparently George Gustaf's 'bloodline' is correct."
Hamilton grinned. "Amazing." Of course this would keep the robo-psychiatrist
out of delusional therapy. That pleased Hamilton. He actually liked the man.
"So how did you like working with triple-A androids?"
The AnMan returned his version of a smile. "About the way you feel about
becoming a professional sociologist, Hamilton."
"That good?" Hamilton grinned back.


The city of Orleans was interested, to say the least. For the first time in memory,
people were actually juggling their schedules to get time off to watch a... parade.
It was a modest affair, as ritual parades went. There were no floats, no teams of
amateur acrobats or struggling amateur aerocyclists. The procession was mostly
afoot or on horseback, led by a small band of tall men who raised the neck-hairs of
onlookers with the eerie, tugging noise of bagpipes.
The mood was ebullient. At the embarkation point there was a delay while a
crowd gathered around the hereditary leader of the Bath and Garter, collecting