Джордж Мартин – Starport (страница 20)

ON CONCERNING

THE ALIENS.

CAN YOU

DESCRIBE HIM

FOR ME?

WE’RE TRYING

TO GET A MAKE ON

AN ALIEN PURSE

SNATCHER.

YEAH. SHORT–

SMALLER THAN A

MUNCHKIN, EVEN–WITH

BIG EARS, WINGS,

AND NO PANTS.

SORT OF

A MONKEY/BAT/

GREMLIN LOOK.

REALLY?

THAT’S WEIRD.

NONE OF THE WINGED

SPECIES I KNOW

FIT THAT

DESCRIPTION...

SO WHAT...

PUKED ON

ME, THEN?

I DON’T KNOW.

SO LET’S SEE IF WE

RECOGNIZE OUR

WINGED FRIEND IN THIS

LOVELY DEPICTION

OF DEBBIE DOES STARPORT...

SPACE. THELAST UNKNOWN. FORTHOUSANDS OF YEARS,MEN HAVE LOOKED UPINTO THE STARRY NIGHT,WONDERING WHAT WASOUT THERE...

WHO’D’VE THOUGHT,

FOR ALL THOSE YEARS,

THAT THE ANSWER WAS

“MUNCHKINS”?

I’M TELLING

YOU GUYS, I’VE

SEEN THIS VIDEO

BEFORE, AND THERE’S

NO SPECIES LIKE

THAT!

THE HARMONY OFWORLDS. VAST FLEETSOF FASTER-THAN-LIGHTSTARSHIPS, LINKING NINETHOUSAND INHABITEDPLANETS, MOONS,AND COLONIES.

A VAST TRADINGWEB THAT UNITESAN ENTIRE GALACTICARM, WITH THE ANCIENTWISDOM ANDACCUMULATED SCIENCEOF 315 SENTIENTSPECIES.

WELCOME TOOUR PLANET’SGUIDE TO THE HARMONYOF WORLDS, AND OURFRIENDS FROMTHE STARS...

...THEY CAMETO US NEARLY TENYEARS AGO, DURING THESUPER BOWL...

CHAPTER THREE

PLEASE TO

FOLLOWING

LIGHT OF INDICATION-

PROGRESSION-

WALKING DESTINATION.

OFFICE TOPMAN

AWAITS.

WELCOME

TO STARPORT

CHICAGO. I’M

MELANTHA MOORE, FROM

THE UNITED NATIONS

INTERSTELLAR TRADE

ORGANIZATION.

PROFIT

TO YOUR

HOUSE.