"Chalker, Jack L - Hotel Andromeda (SSCol)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Chalker Jack L)

"Oh, yes, my darling, yes."

They embraced passionately and several Terran guests scur-
ried out of range of their madly flapping tails.

When Raoul came up for air, he waved a hand vaguely at
Ranee and Lekvich. "Cancel that robot," he said. "I don't
think we'll need it after all."

"Very good, sir." Ranee retrieved the request and killed it
as, arm in arm and tail in tail, Raoul and Celeste made their
way to the tube for rooms 1165-1280.

Bzzzt! Bzzzt! Bzzt!

"Just don't stand there, Lekvich. Answer the phone!"

"Right away. Ranee."

Lekvich sent a maintenance crew down to wing seven to
mop up, and an environmental engineer to room 842 to re-
store gravity. He also arranged for the null-g gym to be
opened, stopped the rain in room 1348. and double-checked
(MI the Poltronian guppy. Then, with a sigh of relief, he leaned
back in his web seat. The console was suddenly quiet.
Lekvich wiped his sweaty forehead on the back of his hand.

The silence lengthened. He became aware that Ranee was
staring at him. Probably she was going to fire him. Well, he
was so tired that he almost didn't care. His first night at the
Hotel Andromeda had been chaotic and maddening. He didn't
deserve to be there- Perhaps he could get a job on the main-
tenance crew, mopping up after water-breathers-

"Well, Lekvich," Ranee began.

Here it comes, he thought.

20 Karen Haber

"You had the con for almost four hours and in that time
there were three environmental accidents, postponed euthana-
sia, twenty-seven complaints, and one near-divorce."

Lekvich told himself he would be a man about it, and
wouldn't cry when she dismissed him.

She nodded thoughtfully, then said, "All in all, not too
shabby."