[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Ordinationalists."
Magnus Ridolph looked at the cubical stone building. Small dunes of gray dust
lay piled against the walls; the door gaped into blankness.
"At that, it's the solidest building in Sclerotto," said Boek.
"A wonder McInch hasn't moved in," observed Magnus Ridolph.
"It's now the municipal dump. The garbage collector has his offices behind.
I'll show you, if you like. It's one of the sights. Er - by the way, are you
incognito?"
"No," said Magnus Ridolph. "I think not. I see no special need for
subterfuge."
"Just as you like," said Boek, jumping out of the car. He watched with pursed
lips as Magnus Ridolph soberly donned a gleaming sun-helmet, adjusted his
nasal air-filters and dark glasses.
They plowed through fine gray dust, which, disturbed by their steps, rose into
the dual sunlight in whorls of red, blue and a hundred intermediate shades.
Magnus Ridolph suddenly tilted his head. Boek grinned. "Quite a smell, isn't
it? Almost call it a stink, wouldn't you?"
"I would indeed," assented Magnus Ridolph. "What in the name of Pluto are we
approaching?"
Page 27
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"It's the garbage collector, the Golespod. Actually, he doesn't collect the
garbage - the citizens bring it here and throw it on him. He absorbs it."
They circled the ancient Ordinationalist church, and Magnus Ridolph now saw
that the back wall had been battered open, permitting the occupant light and
air, but shading him from the two suns. This, the
Golespod, was a wide rubbery creature, somewhat like a giant ray, though
blockier, thicker in cross-
section. It had a number of pale short legs on its underside, a blank
milk-blue eye on its front, a row of pliant tendrils dangling under the eye.
It crouched half-submerged in semi-solid rottenness - scraps of food, fish
entrails, organic refuse of every sort.
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Ja...20Many%20Worlds%20of%20Magnus%2
0Ridolph.html (40 of 132) [10/18/2004 3:43:07 PM]
THE MANY WORLDS OF MAGNUS RIDOLPH by Jack Vance
"He gets paid for it," said Boek. "The pay is all velvet, as his board and
room are thrown in with the job."
A rhythmic shuffling sound came to their ears. Around the corner of the old
stone church came a snakelike creature suspended on thirty skinny jointed
legs.
"That's one of the mail carriers," said Boek. "They're all multipedes - and
pretty good at it, too."
The creature was long, wiry, and his body shone a burnished copper-red. He had
a flat caterpillar face, four black shiny eyes, a small horny beak. A tray
hung under his body containing letters and small parcels. One of these latter
he seized with a foot, whistled shrilly. The Golespod grunted, flung back its
front, tossing the trailing tentacles away from a black maw underneath.
The multipede tossed the little parcel into the mouth, and with a bright blank
stare at Boek and Magnus
Ridolph, turned in a supple arc and trundled around the building. The Golespod
grunted, honked, burrowed deeper into the filth, where it lay staring at Boek
and Magnus Ridolph - these two returning the scrutiny with much the same
detached, faintly contemptuous curiosity.
"Does he understand human speech?" inquired Magnus Ridolph.
Boek nodded. "But don't go too near him. He's an irascible brute."
Magnus Ridolph took a cautious step or two forward, looked into the milky blue
eye.
"I'm trying to identify a criminal named McInch. Can you help me?"
The black body moved in sudden agitation, and a furious honking came from the
pale under-body. The eye distended, swelled. Boek cocked an ear.
"It's saying, 'Go away, go away.'"
Magnus Ridolph said, "You are unable to help me, then?"
The creature redoubled its angry demonstrations, suddenly lurched back, flung
up its head, spewed a gout of vile-smelling fluid. Magnus Ridolph jumped
nimbly back, but a few drops struck his tunic, inundated him with a choking
fetor.
Boek watched with an undisguised smile as Magnus Ridolph scrubbed at the spot
with his handkerchief.
"It'll wear off after a while."
"Umph," said Magnus Ridolph.
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Ja...20Many%20Worlds%20of%20Magnus%2
0Ridolph.html (41 of 132) [10/18/2004 3:43:07 PM]
THE MANY WORLDS OF MAGNUS RIDOLPH by Jack Vance
They returned through the dust to the car.
"I'll take you to the Export Warehouse," said Boek. "That's about the center [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szkicerysunki.xlx.pl
Ordinationalists."
Magnus Ridolph looked at the cubical stone building. Small dunes of gray dust
lay piled against the walls; the door gaped into blankness.
"At that, it's the solidest building in Sclerotto," said Boek.
"A wonder McInch hasn't moved in," observed Magnus Ridolph.
"It's now the municipal dump. The garbage collector has his offices behind.
I'll show you, if you like. It's one of the sights. Er - by the way, are you
incognito?"
"No," said Magnus Ridolph. "I think not. I see no special need for
subterfuge."
"Just as you like," said Boek, jumping out of the car. He watched with pursed
lips as Magnus Ridolph soberly donned a gleaming sun-helmet, adjusted his
nasal air-filters and dark glasses.
They plowed through fine gray dust, which, disturbed by their steps, rose into
the dual sunlight in whorls of red, blue and a hundred intermediate shades.
Magnus Ridolph suddenly tilted his head. Boek grinned. "Quite a smell, isn't
it? Almost call it a stink, wouldn't you?"
"I would indeed," assented Magnus Ridolph. "What in the name of Pluto are we
approaching?"
Page 27
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"It's the garbage collector, the Golespod. Actually, he doesn't collect the
garbage - the citizens bring it here and throw it on him. He absorbs it."
They circled the ancient Ordinationalist church, and Magnus Ridolph now saw
that the back wall had been battered open, permitting the occupant light and
air, but shading him from the two suns. This, the
Golespod, was a wide rubbery creature, somewhat like a giant ray, though
blockier, thicker in cross-
section. It had a number of pale short legs on its underside, a blank
milk-blue eye on its front, a row of pliant tendrils dangling under the eye.
It crouched half-submerged in semi-solid rottenness - scraps of food, fish
entrails, organic refuse of every sort.
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Ja...20Many%20Worlds%20of%20Magnus%2
0Ridolph.html (40 of 132) [10/18/2004 3:43:07 PM]
THE MANY WORLDS OF MAGNUS RIDOLPH by Jack Vance
"He gets paid for it," said Boek. "The pay is all velvet, as his board and
room are thrown in with the job."
A rhythmic shuffling sound came to their ears. Around the corner of the old
stone church came a snakelike creature suspended on thirty skinny jointed
legs.
"That's one of the mail carriers," said Boek. "They're all multipedes - and
pretty good at it, too."
The creature was long, wiry, and his body shone a burnished copper-red. He had
a flat caterpillar face, four black shiny eyes, a small horny beak. A tray
hung under his body containing letters and small parcels. One of these latter
he seized with a foot, whistled shrilly. The Golespod grunted, flung back its
front, tossing the trailing tentacles away from a black maw underneath.
The multipede tossed the little parcel into the mouth, and with a bright blank
stare at Boek and Magnus
Ridolph, turned in a supple arc and trundled around the building. The Golespod
grunted, honked, burrowed deeper into the filth, where it lay staring at Boek
and Magnus Ridolph - these two returning the scrutiny with much the same
detached, faintly contemptuous curiosity.
"Does he understand human speech?" inquired Magnus Ridolph.
Boek nodded. "But don't go too near him. He's an irascible brute."
Magnus Ridolph took a cautious step or two forward, looked into the milky blue
eye.
"I'm trying to identify a criminal named McInch. Can you help me?"
The black body moved in sudden agitation, and a furious honking came from the
pale under-body. The eye distended, swelled. Boek cocked an ear.
"It's saying, 'Go away, go away.'"
Magnus Ridolph said, "You are unable to help me, then?"
The creature redoubled its angry demonstrations, suddenly lurched back, flung
up its head, spewed a gout of vile-smelling fluid. Magnus Ridolph jumped
nimbly back, but a few drops struck his tunic, inundated him with a choking
fetor.
Boek watched with an undisguised smile as Magnus Ridolph scrubbed at the spot
with his handkerchief.
"It'll wear off after a while."
"Umph," said Magnus Ridolph.
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Ja...20Many%20Worlds%20of%20Magnus%2
0Ridolph.html (41 of 132) [10/18/2004 3:43:07 PM]
THE MANY WORLDS OF MAGNUS RIDOLPH by Jack Vance
They returned through the dust to the car.
"I'll take you to the Export Warehouse," said Boek. "That's about the center [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]