Pan Satyrus

Начало книги

Hello. This is Bill Dunham at Cape Canaveral, and the count is down to ninety seconds and go. Go all the way, as General Billy Maguire, who is spokesman for NASA today, just said. Eighty-six seconds, still go.

This is a big day, though it's not like an astronaut was taking off. After all, Mem doesn't have any family to leave behind, or any loved ones to worry about him so far as we know. Eighty seconds and still go.

No, Mem is a bachelor. But he's a mighty important bachelor today, the thirteenth chimpanzee to go into orbit for our side, the side of liberty, freedom and— seventy-two seconds, and go all the way.

That's what his name means, folks, as you undoubtedly know: Mem, the thirteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. There are some mighty learned men — sixty-five seconds — here at Cape Canaveral, and women, too, and it was Mrs. Billy Maguire that named Mem. Seems that the study of Hebrew and Arabic is her hobby — sixty seconds — and so it's Mem who's going to take the test ride today, Mem all the way, as General Maguire said just a little while ago.

Читать дальше →