"King Krool" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lem Stanislaw)

It was not long before, one bright morning, a most marvelous craft
alighted on their front lawn. It gleamed in the sun, all inlaid with
mother-of-pearl, had three legs intricately carved and six
additional supports of solid gold (quite useless, since they didn't
even reach the ground--but then, the builders obviously had more
wealth than they knew what to do with). Down a magnificent staircase
with billowing fountains on either side there came a figure of
stately bearing with a retinue of six-legged machines: some of these
massaged him, some supported him and fanned him, and the smallest
flew above his august brow and sprayed it with eau de cologne from
an atomizer. This impressive emissary greeted the constructors on
behalf of his lord and sovereign, King Krool, who wished to engage
them.
"What sort of work is it?" asked Trurl, interested.
"The details, gentle sirs, you shall learn at the proper time," was
his reply. He was dressed in galligaskins of gold, mink-tufted
buskins, sequined earmuffs, and a robe of most unusual cut--instead
of pockets it had little shelves full of mints and marzipan. Tiny
mechanical flies also buzzed about his person, and these he brushed
away whenever they grew too bold.
"For now," he went on, "I can only say that His Boundless Kroolty is
a great enthusiast of the hunt, a fearless and peerless conqueror of
every sort of galactic fauna, and verily, his prowess has reached
such heights that now the fiercest predators known are no longer
worthy game for him. And herein lies our misfortune, for he craves
excitement, danger, thrills...which is why--"
"Of course!" said Trurl. "He wants us to construct a new model of
beast, something wild and rapacious enough to present a challenge."
"You are, worthy constructor, indeed quick!" said the King's
emissary. "Then it is agreed?"
Klapaucius began to question the emissary more closely on certain
practical matters. But after the King's generosity was glowingly
described and sufficiently elaborated upon, they hurriedly packed
their things and a few books, ran up the magnificent staircase,
hopped on board and were immediately lifted, with a great roar and
burst of flame that blackened the ship's gold legs, into the
interstellar night.



Part 3. King Krool
Back to: TOC | Lem
As they traveled, the emissary briefed the constructors on the laws
and customs prevailing in the Kingdom of Krool, told them of the
monarch's nature, as broad and open as a leveled city, and of his
manly pursuits, and much more, so that by the time the ship landed,
they could speak the language like natives.
First they were taken to a splendid villa situated on a mountainside
above the village--this was where they were to stay. Then, after a
brief rest, the King sent a carriage for them, a carriage drawn by