"Damon Knight - Beyond the Barrier" - читать интересную книгу автора (Knight Damon)

The machine's transparency flashed, "SEARCHING," and
then, after a second, "GEOGRAPHY (EUROPA)." On the
central screen appeared a portion of a page of text. Naismith
read, "Zug. (tsooK) 1. Canton, n. central Switzerland, area
92 square miles. Pop. 51,000. 2. Commune, its capital, on Lake
of Zug S of Zurich; pop. 16,500."

Naismith turned off the machine in disgust. Of course, he was
wasting his time. It was a little surprising that there should be
such a word at all; but the girl had said "a Zug" and besides,
she hadn't pronounced it as if it were German. This couldn't
be the answer.

As he was leaving the library, he heard his name called.
Plump Mr. Ramsdell, the bursar, came hurrying toward him
along the graveled path between the flame trees, holding out
a parcel wrapped in white paper. "How lucky to run into you
like this," Ramsdell panted. "Someone left this at my office
for you, and I absent-mindedly carried it out with me—" He

laughed uncertainly. "I was just going to take it over and drop
it at the Science Building, when I saw you."

Naismith took the parcel: it was unexpectedly heavy and
hard inside the white paper. "Thanks," he said. "Who left it
for me, anyone I know?"

Ramsdell shrugged. "Said his name was Churan. Short,
swarthy fellow, very polite. But I really wasn't paying attention.
Well, I must fly."

"Thanks again," Naismith called after him, but the little
bursar did not seem to hear.

Funny that he should have carried the parcel out of his
office, straight to the library—almost too pat for coincidence,
as if he had known Naismith would be there; but that was
impossible.

Funny, too, that anybody should leave a parcel for him
with Ramsdell; he had nothing to do with the bursar's office,
except to collect his pay checks.

Naismith weighed the parcel in his hands, curiously. He had
an impulse to open it immediately, but decided not to—prob-
lem of disposing of the wrappings, or else carrying them
around. Besides, the thing in the parcel might be in more than
one piece, awkward to carry unless wrapped. Better wait till he
got it home and could examine it properly.