If a man walks by wearing rustic clothes but acting as if the whole area belongs to him, he must be an astronaut.

This view is completely logical. For any astronaut, his profession will make him feel as if everything in the world is controlled by him; as soon as he sets foot on the earth, he will inevitably appear among people to help the poor. As for the vulgarity of his clothing, it is certainly excusable. We can never imagine that a person who has been wearing a space suit for many years and is more adaptable to outer space than the civilized world would know how to dress appropriately. For clothing merchants, he is a rare customer because they can get a lot of money from him. It is said that tailors and clothing merchants gathered around the center of the rocket launch site and tried their best to sell "ground clothing."

In my opinion, the suit of clothing worn by this burly visitor was cut and sewn by a man named Marr who specialized in tent making. The shoulders are too padded and the shorts are cut awkwardly. Wearing this kind of clothes, once a person sits down, his two thickly haired thighs will be exposed. Then there is the wrinkled sleeveless shirt, which is so big that it can only be worn on a cow.

I kept this opinion in my heart without saying anything, and just used my last five gold coins to buy a glass of wine for the astronaut.

I think this is an investment because astronauts have always been generous with their money. As we clinked glasses, I congratulated the astronaut and said, "Hot jet!" He gave me a quick glance.

I made a mistake the first time I interacted with Tucker Broadbent. He listened to my toast but did not answer with the terms he should use, such as "the channel is clear", "safe landing", etc., but just looked at me carefully from head to toe, and then whispered to him Said: "It's great that you have this passion, but you are with the wrong person. I have never traveled to space."

On such occasions, it is better to speak less. It's true that the pilots didn't frequent the barroom of the Casa Menana Hotel. It wasn't a hotel they liked, and it was miles away from the center of the rocket launch site. If a person comes in wearing terrestrial clothes, picks a dark corner to sit down, and is disgusted by people calling him an astronaut, that's his business and I don't care about it. I also chose the sunny corner to sit down, in order to watch the excitement without being seen. Before this, I borrowed money here and there and owed a small debt. This was nothing special, but I always feel embarrassed when people bump into me. I think there must be a reason why he likes this dark place. As for the reason, I'd better not ask.

However, my voice is usually free and unrestrained, and now I can't control it. So, I spoke up and said, "Lao Bao Shi, don't do this to me. I'm sure you are not a person living on the earth, but an astronaut on other planets." Seeing him cautiously "I bet you drink more wine on Mars than on Earth," I said.

"Lower your voice!" He interrupted me without moving his lips. "Why do you conclude that I am an astronaut? You don't know me at all."

"I'm sorry," I said, "You can be whoever you love, and I have nothing to do with it." It’s irrelevant. But I have a good eye for you.”

He lowered his voice and asked, “Why did you reveal your secret?”

You don't have to worry. I doubt anyone else will notice that, but I can see things that others can't." I handed him my card, looking a little smug. You know, there's only one Lorenzo Smythe on earth - a one-man troupe. Yes, I am the famous Lorenzo - stereo music, recorded or recorded operas, plays, etc. are all inseparable from Lorenzo's name. I am "an exceptional artist specializing in pantomime and mockumentary."

He looked at my business card and stuffed it into a pocket on his sleeve casually - his look really made me jealous and angry, these business cards were so expensive It cost me a lot of money, and the words and patterns on it were all hand-carved, and the imitation was lifelike.

"I understand what you mean," he said softly, "but is there something wrong with my movements?"

"Let me show you," I said, "I will imitate Like an ordinary person on earth, walk to the door, and then walk back like you. "As I said that, I showed him, and walked back from the door. I was afraid that his eyesight would not be accustomed to things on the ground, so I deliberately imitated the movements a bit exaggerated - his two feet slid lightly on the floor, as if walking on an iron plate, and he leaned forward slightly and used his hips. Keep your balance and grab something forward with your hands slightly away from your body.

There are many other details that cannot be expressed in words. The key is that when you learn, you must imagine yourself as an astronaut: your body must be flexible and you must always do balancing movements unconsciously - —You have to experience it for yourself. People who live on the ground will inevitably stumble and fall when walking on smooth or stable ground under normal earth gravity conditions, and may even trip or slip on cigarette paper or the like.

This is not the case for astronauts.

"Do you understand what I mean?" I asked, sitting down in my original seat.

"I guess I understand," he admitted with an annoyed look on his face. "Is this how I walked?"

"That's how I walked."

"Humph... It seems I have to ask you to come to class and teach me."

p>

"Then you will walk even more shamelessly!" I said to him calmly.

He sat there motionless, staring at me, as if he was about to speak, but suddenly changed his mind and stopped. He wiggled his finger and signaled to the waiter to refill the glass. When the wine was served, he actually treated the guests and paid for it. After drinking, he slipped down from his seat in one fell swoop. His movements were so fast and clean that I didn't expect him to.

"Wait for me," he whispered.

The glass of wine he invited me to drink was placed in front of me. I felt that it was difficult to refuse the invitation. I didn't intend to refuse, I was interested in him. Even though we only knew each other for ten minutes, I fell in love with him. He can be said to be a sturdy man. Although his appearance is not good, he is not ugly. Women will be attracted to him after seeing him, but men will obey his orders.

He crossed the room with a light and graceful gait, passing the table of four Martians sitting in the doorway. I don't like Martians, and I never expected to encounter such a monster: it looks like a tree trunk with a parasol-like hat on top, but it wants to enjoy the privileges of Earthlings. The limbs on their bodies are fake and disgusting to look at. Because that look reminds me of a snake crawling out of a hole. The way they look at people or things is also not pleasing to the eye. They can look in all directions at the same time without turning their heads (if they have a head, which they don't). Also, they emit a strange smell that is unbearable!

I believe no one would accuse me of racial prejudice. I never cared about anyone's color, race, or religion. But people are still people. But the Martian is actually an object. To me, they don't even look like animals at all. I would rather have a pig by my side one day than see these Martian aliens. Now they are allowed to freely enter restaurants and bars reserved for earthlings. I always feel that it is really outrageous. The problem is that the Earthlings and Martians have signed a treaty, which is clearly stipulated, so what can I do?

The four Martians were not present when I came in, otherwise I would have driven them away. They were definitely not there when I was trying to walk like an astronaut just now. Now they stood around a table, with pedestals at their feet, pretending to be human beings. I didn't even hear the air conditioner revving up. I didn't know when they slipped in.

The glass of wine that was paid for in front of me didn’t have much appeal to me. I just hope that the person who invited me will come back soon so that I can say goodbye to him politely. Somehow, I suddenly remembered that just before he walked out of the bar in a hurry, he had quickly walked in that direction. After a quick glance, I wondered if the appearance of the Martian had anything to do with his hurried departure. I turned my head and looked around, trying to see if the Martians were paying much attention to our table - but who could tell clearly what the Martians were looking at or thinking? This again disgusted me.

I just sat there for several minutes while thinking about it while fiddling with the wine glass. Then I started to wonder: What happened to my friend who was a pilot who generously entertained me? I had expected that he would continue his hospitality and treat me to another supper, or perhaps, if our conversation were of a more speculative nature, be generous enough to lend me a small sum of money. As for other hopes - I have to admit - they are hopeless.

This is embarrassing to say. I called my agent twice recently, and his automated secretary just wrote down my details without even a single word of reply. Unless I have a coin to put in the door, I will have no room to enter that night... Look, I have fallen into this impoverished situation, I don't even have a roof over my head, I can only live in a room with a coin-operated door. sleeping in small bedroom.

I frowned and fell into painful contemplation, trying to find a way out of the predicament. At this moment, a waiter touched my arm and said: "Sir, please listen to the phone."

"Oh, okay, I'll listen. Friend, please bring the phone to the table Okay?"

"I'm sorry, sir. I can't move the phone. The public phone room No. 12 is in the hotel's hallway. Go and listen to it yourself!"

"Thanks," I replied gloomily, trying to be as friendly as possible because I didn't have the money to tip. When I walked out, I made a big circle to avoid the Martians.

After a while, I realized why he couldn't put the phone on the table. No. 12 is a completely safe phone room. You can't see or hear people talking in it, and it's equipped with a scrambler to prevent eavesdropping. There was no image visible on the screen. Even after I entered and locked the door, the screen was still blurry. It wasn't until I sat down and pointed my face at the screen so that the other person could see my image that the white clouds of holes began to dissipate. I gradually saw my astronaut friend.

"Sorry, I was in a hurry just now and left without saying goodbye."

He said hurriedly, "I want you to come to Room 2106 of the Eisenhower Hotel immediately."

He offered no explanation. The Eisenhower Hotel, like the Casa Menana Hotel, was not a place that astronauts liked to visit.

I realized that there must be an article in the book he asked me to go to: A person would never accidentally meet a stranger in a bar and insist on him going to a hotel private room - hey, At least you won’t necessarily ask someone of the same gender to go!

"Why are you asking me to go?" I asked.

After hearing my question, the astronaut’s expression changed, just like some people who are accustomed to giving orders and always require the other party to obey absolutely without any objection. I studied his expression with a kind of professional curiosity - not quite angry, but a bit like a thundercloud before a storm. He controlled his emotions and said calmly: "Okay, Lorenzo, I don't have time to explain to you. Do you want a job?"

"Do you mean a professional job?" I said slowly to him. I was suddenly stunned. I kind of doubt he'd let me do it... Well, you know - he meant a job. Until now, despite my bad luck, repeated setbacks, and sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy experiences, I have always been proud of my career.

"Oh, of course it's professional!" he said immediately. "We need to find the best actor."

I was really happy to hear this, but I didn't let it show on my face. Indeed, in my heart, I actually wanted to do any kind of professional job - I was even willing to play no role in the play "Romeo and Juliet" and only acted as a balcony and a prop - but, I thought to myself, Don't look too eager.

"How long is the employment period?" I asked. "My schedule is quite full." He ignored my words and ignored me.

"I can't tell clearly on the phone. Maybe you don't understand the secret of this kind of phone. As long as you use the appropriate equipment, it is easy to destroy the scrambler. Any wire that is anti-eavesdropping It may malfunction - you'd better come to me quickly!"

The look on his face was very urgent, so I didn't need to worry.

"Now I want to ask," I said unconvinced, "What kind of role do you think I am? A hotel waiter? A fledgling actor who plays children's roles? Or do you just want to win a walk-on honor on the stage? "You know I'm Lorenzo!" I raised my head in disapproval and looked very angry. "How much are you willing to pay?"

"Hey, damn it, I can't elaborate on the phone. How much do you get now?"

"What? You're asking How much do I get as an actor?"

"Yes, yes!"

"Then do you mean how much I get for a performance, or per week, or "Pay regularly according to the contract?"

"Hey, it doesn't matter. How much do you get per day?"

"The minimum salary for a night's performance is one hundred gold coins." Simply put, he said, this is the situation. Oh, and sometimes I'm forced to pay a pretty hefty commission. However, the number on my receipt will not be less than what I deserve. A person should always have his own standards, or worth. The pay is so little that I would rather starve to death than work.

"Okay, it's settled," he immediately said cheerfully, "as soon as you come, I will hand over one hundred gold coins to you in cash. But be quick!"

"Huh?" I suddenly felt a little regretful. I could have offered $200, or even $250. "But I haven't agreed to accept the deadline yet."

"It's not a big problem! Let's talk about it when you get here! Even if you refuse, the one hundred yuan in cash will still be given to you. If you accept ——This is considered a bonus, let’s calculate the salary separately. Don’t worry, can you come now?”

I nodded. "Of course, sir, please be patient."

Fortunately, the Eisenhower Hotel is not far from the Casa Mainana Hotel. I was so broke at the time that I couldn't even pay for the subway ride. But it’s not bad to walk around on two feet. Although I am no longer familiar with the art of walking, I am still very interested in it. Besides, while walking, I can still have time to think about the problem. I'm not a fool. I know that there must be something fishy about a person rushing to give you a large sum of money. I have to observe carefully, and I am now certain that the activities involved in this matter are either illegal, frugal, or both. I have never cared too much about the cumbersome provisions of the law. I agree with Shakespeare: the law is often like an idiot. But generally speaking, I still follow the rules. I have never broken the law, and I am not prepared to break the law.

However, I currently do not have sufficient information to confirm my doubts. With that in mind, I let it go. I threw my shawl over my right shoulder and stepped onto the street.

The weather in autumn is warm and pleasant, coupled with the colorful and blooming scenes in big cities, I feel really happy and relaxed. When I arrived at the hotel, I decided not to go through the main entrance, but took the express elevator from the basement to the 21st floor. At this time, I vaguely felt that the audience could not recognize me in a place like this. My astronaut friend immediately invited me inside.

"You spend a lot of time on the road," he said sternly.

"Really?" I glanced around, not to contradict him. As I expected: it was an expensive, luxuriously furnished room, except that everything in the room was messy.

I saw used wine glasses piled everywhere, at least a dozen, and there were also many coffee cups. It is not difficult to tell from this sign that many guests have come before me. There was another man lying on the sofa, stretching his limbs lazily and staring at me with wide eyes. According to my preliminary observation, this man is also an astronaut. I gave him an inquiring look. No one introduced me.

"Hey, you're finally here. Now let's get down to business and talk about business!"

"Let's talk! This reminds me," I continued, "What I just mentioned Is there any bonus or advance payment?"

"Well, that's right." He turned to the person lying on the sofa and said, "Jacques, pay him what you want." Money?"

"Pay him!"

Now I know who is the superior of these two men - and later I know who Tucker Broadbent is. There is no doubt that he usually directs everything.

After hearing Tucker's words, the other man stood up immediately, still staring at me, and counted one 50-yuan and five 10-yuan gold coins to me. I didn't even count the amount. I took the money and immediately stuffed it into my pocket, and then said: "Now I have to listen to you, gentlemen."

The big man bit his lip. "First of all, I want you to make a solemn oath that you cannot talk about this matter even in your dream."

"If I simply say to him that I promise not to talk about it, then just swear. What do you think?" The little astronaut was still lying on the sofa. I glanced at him. "I guess we haven't met before. My name is Lorenzo."

He stared at me, but turned his head away. The friend I met in the bar said hastily: "Names are irrelevant in this matter."

"Irrelevant? My father made me promise to do three things before he died: First First, never mix anything in your whiskey except water; second, never pay attention to an anonymous letter; third, never talk to a stranger who doesn't want to give his real name. Goodbye. Gentlemen." After I said that, I walked straight to the door, and the one hundred gold coins in my pocket made my heart feel warm again.

"Stop!" I stopped. Just listen to him continue to say, "You are absolutely right. My name is..."

"Captain!"

"Shut up! Jacques! I am Tucker Bo Rodbent. The man staring at us is Jacques Dabois. We are all astronauts - experts in space, no matter what the size of the ship, no matter how fast the ship is. "Down."

I nodded. "Lorenzo Smythe," I said humbly, "is a bard and an artist—letters may be delivered to the Rams Club." Actually, I had to take it to heart and make sure not to forget to pay my dues.

"Come on, Jacques, don't be so sullen. Now you can smile. Lorenzo, do you agree to keep this matter secret?"

"It must be kept secret. This is a secret. It's a gentleman's agreement."

"Whether you accept this job or not, you have to keep it secret from now on?"

"No matter whether we understand each other or reach an agreement, we will. Keep it secret. I am a human being, and my weaknesses are inevitable, but as long as I am not forced to use illegal torture methods, I will never reveal your secrets."

"Lorenzo, I know very well. We're not expecting any miracles about what a new anesthetic will do to a person's brain." "Tucker," Dobois said impatiently, "we're going to make a mistake. At least..."

"Shut up, Jacques. I don't want to invite any hypnotist here. Lorenzo, listen, we want you to play a role. It's so lifelike and lifelike that no one - I mean, no one in the universe - would know that this happened. "

Me? He frowned: "The first question is not 'Can I do it or can't I win?' The most important question is 'Do I want to do it?' What's the specific situation? You tell me!"

"Hey, We’ll talk about the details later. To put it simply, it’s the same as playing the role of a famous person. The difference is that you are required to look so different that even those who are very familiar with him cannot recognize him. This is not just from watching the ceremony. It’s not that convenient to review the parade on the stage or award medals to the Girl Scouts.” There was a sly and strange light in his eyes, and he gave me a strange look. "This requires the special talent of a true artist."

"No!" I immediately objected.

"Hey! You don't know anything about this mission yet, so don't rush to express your opinion. If you feel guilty, I can guarantee you: you will never get involved in playing that famous person. Damaging his interests will never harm the legitimate interests of others. In short, this work must be done!"

"Hey, God, Why not? You don’t even know how much we plan to pay you!”

“I don’t plan to pay you anything!” I said firmly. "I'm an actor, not a substitute for a real person."

"I just can't understand it. You are really incomprehensible.

There are so many actors who make some extra money by appearing on behalf of celebrities! ”

“I don’t recognize that kind of people as peers. I would rather say they are whores. I need to speak clearly. Can a writer respect a ghostwriter? Would you respect a painter who let others sign his works just for money? The artist's spirit may be foreign to you, sir. But I might as well use your jargon to explain it: If you are the one who actually pilots the spacecraft, and others do not have your superb skills, yet they wear space suits and receive public praise, and they are even praised as aerospace experts. What would you do for a little money? Are you willing? "

" Dobois snorted, "How much does it cost?"

Broad Bent frowned and glanced at him sideways. "I think it's completely understandable that you see it this way and object."

"For an artist, sir, the most important thing is honor. Money is just a means to create art. In other words, money is just a vulgar means."

"Well, you don't do it for money. So, what if you think this is the case? It has to be done, and only you can do it. Are you willing to do it?"

"If so, you can consider it! I can't imagine such a situation now."

Dobois suddenly jumped up from the sofa. "Hey, Tucker, you can't... you have no power..."

"Shut up, Jacques! You must let him know."

"You don't have to let him know now. You know, especially here. Besides, you have no right to tell him and harm the interests of everyone else. What's more, you don't know him at all."

"This is a plan. 's adventure." Broadbent turned to me.

Dobois grabbed his arm and twisted his body hard. "Go to hell with any planned adventure! Tucker, I have always followed you in the past and relied on you in everything, but this time, if you don't shut up, I will have to fight you. One of the two of us must be Don't think about it again after a disaster!"

Broad Bent was stunned, and he smiled coldly at Dobois. "You want to show off, don't you, brother?"

Dobois stared at him angrily, showing no sign of weakness. Broadbent was a head taller and weighed 20 kilograms more. Only then did I realize that I had a crush on Dobois for the first time. I often see kittens showing their teeth and claws, or bantam chickens showing aggressive looks, and I have also seen little people preferring to die standing up rather than live on their knees. I felt this way at this time, and was deeply moved by it. Although I don't think Broadbent will kill him, I can definitely imagine Dobois being bullied in the future.

I am not going to interfere. Everyone has the right to choose the time and method of destroying themselves!

I saw that the relationship between the two of them was getting more and more tense. Broadbent suddenly laughed and grabbed Dobois' shoulders.

"Good job, Jacques!" He turned to me and whispered: "Sorry, please wait a moment, he and I have to sum up,"

This group There was a corner of the suite that was used as a soundproof room and contained a telephone and an autograph book. I saw Broadbent grabbing Dobois's hand and taking him to the corner. They stood there as if they were discussing urgent military matters.

The soundproofing equipment in public places like hotels is sometimes not ideal, and sound waves will inevitably spread out. However, the Eisenhower Hotel is a luxury-class building, and the quality level of its equipment is of course not mentioned and will never fail. I could only see their lips moving but couldn't hear the sound.

Their lips did move, I saw it. Broadbent's face was facing out towards me, and I glanced at Dobois in a wall mirror. It reminded me of when I was a kid performing my specialty, telepathy. My father always spanked me until I learned the gift of understanding what other people were saying by watching their lips move - I used to do psychic tricks in brightly lit halls and use glasses - I don't have that now It wasn't a big deal - I could tell what they were talking about just by the movements of their lips.

Dobois seemed to be saying, "Tucker, you cruel and stupid beast, what you are doing now and what you plan to do is completely illegal and very despicable. It's unsightly. Do you want us to put all our money on this guy and end up bankrupt? This pretentious and sinister villain will eventually leak all the secrets."

I. Broadbent's reply was barely heard. This guy actually calls me pretentious? True, I did have some self-admiration for my genius, but it never showed on my face.

I think I am a very humble person.

Broad Bent said: "...if the trick turns out to be very clever, it doesn't matter, let alone the only trick in town? Jacques, except to use him, No one else can be found."

Dobois said: "Okay, then ask Dr. Scodia to hypnotize him and give him wine. Even so, the key is. We still can’t tell him the problem. We can’t tell him until he is completely under our control, especially when we are still on the ground.”

I saw Broadbent. Said: "Well, Scodia himself once said to me that hypnosis or narcotic drugs will not help in getting that person to play the role we need. We must win over him and make him voluntarily cooperate with us."

Dobois sneered at what Broadbent said. He said: "What kind of voluntary cooperation? Open your eyes and look at his appearance. Could a phoenix emerge from the crow's nest? Yes, his length and shape are appropriate. His skull is also quite similar to that leader, but it is very Maybe it's just his appearance, he may be similar in appearance but not in spirit. Maybe he will suddenly panic or get angry, and the secret will be revealed. I think he can't play this role at best. Just a bad actor!"

If the immortal opera singer Caruso had been criticized for being out of tune, he would have considered it a great insult. However, after listening to the above words, I suddenly felt that the insult to me was greater than the insult to Caruso. But I can still deserve it, he said, and I carry on the tradition of Papich and Booth. I continued wiping my nails, trying to ignore the words and remember only that one day I wanted my friend Dobois to look good. I'm going to make him laugh or cry within 20 seconds. I waited for a while, stood up, and walked towards the soundproof room. When they saw me trying to get in, they immediately stopped talking. I whispered to him: "It doesn't matter, gentlemen, I have changed my mind."

After hearing my words, Dobois looked relieved. "You don't like doing this work?"

"I want to say that I accept your task. You don't need to explain it. Friend Broadbent has already given me a guarantee: this The work will not disturb my conscience. I believe him. Since he told me that he only needs me to be an actor, I don’t care about the details and specific matters involved in the stage management, so I will accept it.” p>

Dobois was a little angry, but he held back and said nothing. I imagined that Broadbent would look satisfied and pleased; in fact he did not look that way. He seemed depressed and a little unhappy. "Okay," he said as he agreed, "let's get down to it! Lorenzo, I don't know how long we're going to need you for, I don't know yet. A few days at most, I think. During that time, You only need to show up once or twice for about an hour."

"As long as you give me enough time to study how to play the role you want me to play, other problems will not be big. . But you have to tell us how many days it will take?"

"Oh! You can't do this."

"Okay. , I won’t notify you. So, how long will it take?”

“If it’s that long, we’re screwed.”

"Oh?!"

"It doesn't matter. What do you think of one hundred gold coins a day? Are you satisfied?"

I hesitated. Remembering that he just agreed to meet my minimum requirements in one breath just because he was eager to see me, now I think I should also be a little polite. Put aside the money issue for now. “Don’t talk about it now.

There is no doubt that the remuneration you give me will be commensurate with my acting talents. I trust you on this. ”

“Okay, let’s not talk about it for now. Broadbent turned around impatiently. "Jacques, give the launch site a call first." Then talk to Langston. Tell him that the Madiglas plan has begun. Keep in close contact with him. Lorenzo..." He motioned for me to follow him into the bathroom. He opened a small box and asked, "Can you get a fake like this? "

What he took out was really a "fake". It turned out to be a kind of cosmetics that only non-professional actors would use, but the price was extremely expensive. This kind of cosmetics was specially placed on the counter for people to see. It's sold by vain people who want to be actors. I looked at the box and looked a little disgusted.