"FWLS50" - читать интересную книгу автора (A Future We'd Like to See)

bored alone. He introduced me to Mitch, we started pulling gags,
patterns settled in. No big whoop.

Art auctions were also no big whoop, at least according to
Benton.

*

I've only been to a few art auctions. Actually, Benton
hasn't been to many, either; he avoids them if at all possible.
But the gallery insists that the artist be present when a piece
is sold, so he has to sit around chatting with Gallery patrons
for at least two hours. Clearly his least favorite activity in
life.

"Have they sold it yet?" Benton asked, slurping down another
cup of complimentary punch. "I wanna get this over with and get
down to the mall."

"Come on, Benton, surely you must be interested in the money
you're making," Mitch insisted, swirling his punch around.
"Let's face it, 'Balancing Act' is one of your better pieces. It
should rake in quite a bit."

I had to admit, I liked it myself. I always liked Benton's
work, of course... he knew how to put simple things together in a
moving way, whether he liked it or not. Here he had managed to
take some simple household implements and a yard of his
monofilament to balance them in a way that suggested man's
inability to control his own fate without an understanding of his
soul. (Okay, so that sounds ridiculous in print. You had to see
it yourself, I guess.)

"What, that? Come on, I just took a few simple household
implements and a yard of my monofilament to balance them in a
neato pattern. I certainly wouldn't pay... HOLY BEJEEZUS!"

Benton dropped his punch cup, gaping at the tollboard which
had Item #42 ("Balancing Act" by Benton Hunt) at fifty thousand
credits and climbing.

Benton paused a minute. I wondered if he'd break down and
say he realized the power of the piece. Not likely.

"You're right, Mitch. People are gullible saps. Whatever.
Let's get in the car and go."

"But you haven't collected the money yet," I reminded him.

"Big deal. So I get more zeroes on my allowance. Let's get