"Spider Robinson - Copyright Violation" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robinson Spider)

But anything can happen in a dream. Lord, who knows better than I? For the first
time I was willing to—tentatively—believe that her obvious attraction signals might
just be genuine. The possibilities were staggering.
"My mother was," she answered, dimpling, "the most beautiful Queen that
Ragovia ever had."
"You're a princess." Well, of course. Dream logic.
"Only by courtesy. I'll never be queen—Ragovia became a democracy a few
years ago."
"I'm terribly sorry to hear that."
"Oh, it was a bloodless coup. A telegram to our summer place in Barbados, and
that was essentially it. Father moped for a week."
"Well, naturally."
"I can't get over how much you look like the man in my dream. He was wearing
Father's crown. That's why I just had to put it on your head—to see if the
resemblance could possibly be as complete as it seemed."
I threw caution to the winds and stood up. "And is it?"
Her eyes went down and then up me. On the way down they paused just where I
had hoped/feared they would. When her eyes got back up to mine, she was smiling.
"The resemblance is exact."
"Princess—uh—"
"Oh, forgive me again. My name is Marga."
"My name is Fleming, Princess Marga."
"Please, Marga alone is sufficient." And without the slightest hesitation or change
of voice or manner, she went on, "Fleming, do you know of some quiet, private
place nearby where we could be alone together?"
A man next to me made an odd swallowing sound. I dug a finger into my ear.
"Too much noise in here. I could have sworn that you just asked me . . . " I could
not repeat what I thought I had heard.
"I asked you if you have a place where we can be alone together. As we were in
my dream last night."
I drew in a deep breath, and then could not remember what to do with it. "Why?"
I croaked.
"So that I can screw you into a coma."
Exhale. That was what you did with deep breaths. No, too late now: I was
paralyzed. That breath was going to have to last me the rest of my life.
"—" I said.
"If you have no place near," she went on, "we could find an alley. Or we could
lock ourselves in the toilet here. But I am mad with lust for you and must have you
as soon as possible."
People had been surreptitiously watching ever since Marga had sat down next to
me, and now there were two small, musical explosions as the customers on either
side of us dropped their drinks.
I decided that, while this was a splendid moment to die, even better ones might lie
in the future; with an effort I got my breathing reflex started again.
"The feeling is mutual. That is, I hope it will be. That is—yes, I have a place near
here."
"Let's hurry! In my dream we were won-derful together!"
A lot of people were watching now. I glanced around as I took her hand, the way
I've seen it done in movies, and nothing in my life had ever tasted as good as the
sight of all those gaping faces.