"Robert A. Heinlein - Magic, Inc" - читать интересную книгу автора (Heinlein Robert A)

He took out his handkerchief and spread it for a clean place to sit down on
what had been sacks of cement - a fancy, quick- setting variety, with a
trade name of Hydrolith. I had been getting eighty cents a sack for the
stuff; now it was just so many big boulders.

He ticked the situation off on his fingers. Archie, you've been kicked in
the teeth by at least three of the four different types of elementals -
earth, fire, and water. Maybe there was a sylph of the air in on it, too,
but I can't prove it. First the gnomes came and cleaned out everything you
had that came out of the ground, except cold iron. A salamander followed
them and set fire to the place, burning everything that was burnable, and
scorching and smoke-damaging the rest. Then the undine turned the place into
a damned swamp, ruining anything that wouldn't burn, like cement and lime.
You're insured?'
Naturally.' But then I starred to think. I carried the usual fire, theft,
and flood insurance, but business-risk insurance comes pretty high; I was
not covered against the business I would lose in the meantime, nor did I
have any way to complete current contracts. It was going to cost me quite a
lot to cover those contracts; if I let them slide it would ruin the good
will of my business, and lay me open to suits for damage.

The situation was worse than I had thought, and looked worse still the more
I thought about it. Naturally I could not accept any new business until the
mess was cleaned up, the place rebuilt, and new stock put in. Luckily most
of my papers were in a fireproof steel safe; but not all, by any means.
There would be accounts receivable that I would never collect because I had
nothing to show for them. I work on a slim margin of profit, with all of my
capital at work. It began to look as if the firm of Archibald Fraser,
Merchant and Contractor, would go into involuntary bankruptcy.

I explained the situation to Jedson.

Don't get your wind up too fast,' he reassured me. What magic can do, magic
can undo. What we need is the best wizard in town.'

Who's going to pay the fee?' I objected. Those boys don't work for nickels,
and I'm cleaned out.'

Take it easy, son,' he advised, the insurance outfit that carries your risks
is due to take a bigger loss than you are. If we can show them a way to save
money on this, we can do business. Who represents them here?'

I told him - a firm of lawyers downtown in the Professional Building.

I got hold of my office girl and told her to telephone such of our customers
as were due for deliveries that day. She was to stall where possible and
pass on the business that could not wait to a firm that I had exchanged
favours with in the past. I sent the rest of my help home - they had been
standing around since eight o'clock, making useless remarks and getting in