Короли и капуста
The Remnants of the Code
Thenthatvalisecamecrashingdownintoanorangetreejustabovemyhead;andIarosefrommycouch,notknowingwhenitmightbegintorainSaratogatrunks.Whenthearmyandtheconstabularybegantoarrive,withtheirmedalsanddecorationshastilypinnedtotheirpajamas,andtheirsnickersneesdrawn,Icrawledintothewelcomeshadowofabananaplant.Iremainedthereforanhour,bywhichtimetheexcitementandthepeoplehadclearedaway.Andthen,mydearGoodwin—excuseme—Isawyousneakbackandpluckthatripeandjuicyvalisefromtheorangetree.Ifollowedyou,andsawyoutakeittoyourownhouse.Ahundred-thousand-dollarcropfromoneorangetreeinaseasonaboutbreakstherecordofthefruit-growingindustry.
"Beingagentlemanatthattime,ofcourse,Inevermentionedtheincidenttoanyone.ButthismorningIwaskickedoutofasaloon,mycodeofhonourisalloutattheelbows,andI’dsellmymother’sprayer-bookforthreefingersofaguardiente.I’mnotputtingonthescrewshard.Itoughttobeworthathousandtoyouformetohavesleptonthatcotthroughthewholebusinesswithoutwakingupandseeinganything."
Goodwinopenedtwomoreletters,andmadememorandainpencilonthem.Thenhecalled"Manuel!"tohissecretary,whocame,spryly.
"TheAriel—whendoesshesail?"askedGoodwin.
"Señor,"answeredtheyouth,"atthreethisafternoon.Shedropsdown-coasttoPuntaSoledadtocompletehercargooffruit.FromthereshesailsforNewOrleanswithoutdelay."
"Bueno!"saidGoodwin.
