"Donald Westlake - SH4 - The World's A Stage" - читать интересную книгу автора (Westlake Donald E)

Hester said, “Maybe all their weather comes from the other side.”

“Are the things still out there?”

“They’re gone, Councilman Luthguster,” Pam said. “You can come out.”

“Tell him to leave the microphone inside,” Ensign Benson called up the ladder, then said to the captain,
“let’s go find out the story here.”

“I suppose we have to.”

The captain and the ensign and Billy crossed the dusty field, meeting part way a frazzled woman wearing
many frilly-but-worn garments and carrying a carpetbag. Smiling rather maniacally at Billy and speaking
with an almost impenetrable southern accent complicated by many odd little pauses, she said, “Ah
have…allwuz depended…on the…kahndness of stranjuhs.”

“Me too,” said Billy.

“As for me,” said Ensign Benson, “I’ve never depended on the kindness of strangers. Seems to work
better somehow.”

In the living room, the man burped and yelled, “Stella!”

The frazzled woman stopped, frowned at Ensign Benson and said, completely without accent or
affectation,
“Say. What’s your story?”

“That’s what I meant to ask you,” Ensign Benson said. “What’s your story?”

“A Streetcar Named Desire, of course.”

Billy said, “What’s a streetcar?”

“I’ll tell you what my desire is,” Ensign Benson said, but the captain got there first, stepping forward to
say, “Madam, if you please, take me to your leader.”

“Us,” said Ensign Benson

“Oh, that story,” said the woman.



Royal-blue carpet with the Presidential seal in the middle. Large wooden desk, flanked by flags. The
Oval Office.

Coming around his desk, smiling, hand outstretched, the President of the United States greeted the
people from Earth. “Welcome back. Your safe return from barren Aldebaran has ignited the spirit of
mankind. Welcome home to Earth.”