Читаем Imperial Earth полностью

“Very considerate of you. Now, how’s the transport going to work out?”

“I can let you have ten well-behaved horses and five ditto ponies. ““That only enough for fifteen. We need at least twenty-five.”

“No problem. You can also have six miniphants. They can each take two riders, and they’re safer than horses….”

While this discussion was in progress, Duncan examined the professor and his pets. The survey did not inspire much confidence; in particular, he did not care for the way in which the scientist was covered from head to heels in smooth leather, with massive reinforcements around the throat and from elbow to heavily gloved hands. It could not have been very comfortable on a hot June morning, and presumably he was not wearing this armor for fun.

However, Fido and Susie seemed sleek, well fed, and even somnolent. From time to time they yawned and licked their chops, with a disturbing display of dentition, but they showed no interest in after-breakfast snacks. In fact, they showed very little interest in anything, and Duncan could see the truth of the professoes remarks about their intelligence. Their narrow skulls obviously contained much smaller brains than those of modern wolves; it was no wonder that they had become extinct. Duncan-himself an experiment in controlled genetics-felt rather sorry for the big, clumsy beasts.

“Attention, everyone!” Boss called. “We’re breaking camp in thirty minutes, and then we have a short trip to make—only about six kilometers. You know the restrictions on transport in New York City,

so we have the following choices-foot, horse, or m-in-i-phant. On a beautiful morning like this, Fm going to walk. But it’s up to you-who wants to ride horseback? One, two, three-was your hand up,

Bill? .. . four … eleven, twelve, thirteen … that’s unlucky—any more? No? O.K.” thirteen it is.”

“What about bicycles?” somebody shouted.

“Not allowed in the park,” said Professor Evans. “Only last year a mad cyclist killed one of my ponies. Unfortunately, he survived. If you want a bike, you can go across to Fifth Avenue and hire one. For that matter, you can walk to the 96th Street station and catch the subway. It runs every ten minutes in the tourist season.”

There were no takers, but all the miniphants were snapped up. Duncan opted for this mode, on Boss’s advice. The rest of the party elected to walk.

Half an hour later, the string of animals arrived at the camping site. To

Duncan’s astonishment, they were unaccompanied by humans. One large miniphant led the procession, and the other five kept the horses from straying. The two species seemed to be on excellent terms with each other.

“I suppose it’s the first time you’ve seen a miniphant?” said Boss, noticing Duncan’s interest.

“Yes-I’d heard about them, of course. Why are they so popular?”

“They have the advantage of the elephant without the handicap of its size.

As you see, they’re not much bigger than horses. But they’re much more intelligent, understand several hundred words, and can carry out quite complicated orders without supervision. And with that trunk they can open doors, pick up parcels, work switches-would you believe that they can operate viddies?”

“Frankly, no.”

“You’re wrong; some of them can, though not reliably yet. They get the right number about eight times out of ten.”

The leader ambled up to Boss and raised his trunk in salutation.

“Hello, Rajah-nice to see you again.”

Rajah brought down his trunk and wound it affectionatoly around BoWs wrist.

Then he bent his legs 168 and knelt ponderously on the ground, so that his riders could climb easily into the pair of seats arranged sidesaddle on his back. The other five miniphants performed the same act with the timing of a well-trained corps de ballet.

Did a boat feel like this? Duncan asked himself, as he swayed gently and comfortably out of the park. This was certainly the way to travel if the weather was fine, you didn’t have far to go, and you wanted to enjoy the view. As all three criteria were now satisfied, he was blissfully content.

The file of animals and humans made its way out of the clearing, through the belt of trees, and past the pile of rocks from which the morning’s revelation had been vouchsafed. They skirted the little hill, and presently came to a lake on which dozens of small boats were being languidly paddled back and forth. Each boat appeared to contain one young man, who was doing the paddling, and one young lady, who was doing nothing. Only a few couples took enough notice of the procession wending past to wave greetings; presumably New Yorkers were too accustomed to miniphants to give them more than a passing glance.

After the lake, there came a beautiful expanse of grass, smooth and flat as a billiard table. Though there were no warning signs, not a single person was walking on it, and all the animals avoided it with scrupulous care.