Fantasy - Frederik Pohl "Hunters".

        "Hunter"


            (C) by Frederik Pohl
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  The creature was more than seven feet
growth, and, when it embarked on
cobbled stone path near the house
Buffy, one of the stones with a crunch
split into pieces.
 - What a mess! "- Said sadly
suschestvo., I apologize.
Wait.
 The stranger stopped, shuddered and disappeared, but 
reappeared a moment later. Now it was about five feet two 
inches. - I so badly materialized - he said. - But I reimbursed

damage. Would you like to learn the secret of transmutation? Or 
get remedy for all viral diseases? Or maybe you're interested 
in a list of shares that will soon start to rise?

 Buffy said that the list of stocks
it is completely satisfied with, "it will
tried not to betray his emotion.
 - My name is Charlton Buffy
, He introduced himself, holding
hand. - Call me a Punch
please, - said the stranger.
 - My name is not so, but
Now come down and this name, you're
understand that before you all
only the projection of my 'I'. - And he
dictated the names of the twelve
corporations.

  Buffy thought, not better
immediately call your broker,
but instead invited Punch
a stroll through the garden. Need to use every minute, "said
he thought, every minute spent with strangers, brings
ten thousand dollars.
 - Tell me I'm not mistaken? - Asked Punch .- Is not
Today you and your friends are planning to leave to go hunting? 
Me Wenzel said that Senator ...

 -Oh, of course, it is today!
So you told the old man
Walt. Understandable.

  Well, it is no secret that aliens love to poke
his nose in the affairs of men. For the first time
appeared on Earth, they said
they want to help people, and instead ask one thing - the 
possibility of explore the local way of life ...

 - We're going to shoot wild
ducks, it is near, at Litte Egg,
are, firstly, Chuck - Mayor
our city, then Gere - The Second National Bank, and more
Father, our Holy Father ...
 - That's it! - Cried Punch. -
Watch as you shoot wild
ducks. "He pulled out a road map.
 -I, unfortunately, can not so precisely focused,
to remain in the moving
car, but I'll meet you
on the spot. Of course, if you
want.
 - Want! - Buffy with all possible care to show the place
meeting.

   The boys encounter with a stranger Buffy impressed.
 <Oh my God, what luck! > - <You
received from him for superbulavku
Hair, Buffy? > - <Or recipe
the new, softest martini? > -
 - 
 They drove down the road, holding a rifle between his knees, 
and Buffy smiled somehow her thoughts.  It is a pity, he 
thought that all have to share with the guys, but

On the other hand, the list of stocks
He has already received. Yes, and so is unlikely
Who on Earth will be bypassed. With the help of strangers 
American ekspiditsiya found huge abundance of radium in

Calixto, Venezuela - the diamond mountain on Mercury and others.

  Private individuals, too, fall to
a lot.

  Punch arrived on the scene before them
and is considered stored in
hiding a box of whiskey.
 - I'm glad to see you, "he said. - You have kindly agreed to
take me to his company.
What a pity that I can stay
you only eleven minutes.
 - Eleven Minutes! Guys with
perplexity stared at Buffy.
Panache continued:
 - There is still time, I would
to share with you a little
secret: if three grams of salt
dissolve in a liter of tomato
juice, and then for nine
minutes exposed to radiation in
silicon reactor, you get the right remedy for warts.
 All quickly wrote down his words
and each silently pondering the creation of corporations on 
equal footing. Punch showed the bay, where, together with

the waves rose and fell
tiny dots. - These are the
the most wild duck, which you
going to shoot?
 -Quite right, - said grimly Buffy. -Listen, you mentioned the 
transmutation - and here interesting ...

 - You are killing the birds from this
Guns, yes? - Punch considered
antique gun prenadlezhaschee
priest. Stunningly beautiful,
thing - he said. - You are now
'll shoot?
 - Oh, not now - Buffy replied, shocked. - Now we do not
can shoot them. So,
transmutation of ...
 - Terribly interesting - he said
the stranger, looking at their own
pink eyes, and returning
gun. "Well, okay. Now I
probably tell you about that, about
What we have not yet been reported. Surprise.
Soon we will stand before you
in the flesh - or, at least
We are very close. My real body, the projection that you
see before, is
on one of our interstellar
ships, are now approaching
to the orbit of Pluto. American
space fleet is experiencing a
the area of silicon-beam weapons, and soon we first entered
in contact with them in the physical
sense of the word. - He beamed
smile. - But it remains
Only six minutes - sadly
he added.
 "Please," said Punch, - I can see how you hunt? This brings us 
so ...  -Oh, you, too, hunter? - Asked

padre. Alien said modestly:
 -We have a little game, but we all love to hunt. You show how
This is done to you?

  Buffy really bored. - We do not
can - he muttered. - We do not
shoot at a sit-down game.

  Punch a bit suffocated by
delight.
 - We and this is very similar to each
other! But I have to go back to your ship. Our
fleets closer together - remember, I
mentioned the surprise that we
cook for you? - Punch began to flicker like a candle.

  - The fact that we, too, never shoot at a sit-down
game! - He said and disappeared.
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