"Alfred Bester - Demolished Man, The" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bester Alfred)

boy was showing off for the lawyer's girl, singing a love ballad and
paralleling it with a visual parody. College stuff. The wives were arguing
violently in sine curves, @kins and West were interlacing
cross-conversation in a fascinatingly intricate pattern of sensory images
that made Church's starvation keener.
"Would you like a drink, Jerry?"
The garden door opened. Powell stood silhouetted in the light, a
bubbling glass in his hand. The stars lit his face softly. The deep hooded
eyes were compassionate and understanding. Dazed, Church climbed to his
feet and timidly took the proffered drink.
"Don't report this to the Guild, Jerry. I'll catch hell for breaking
the taboo. I'm always breaking rules. Poor Jerry... We've got to do
something for you. Ten years is too long."
Suddenly Church hurled the drink in Powell's face, then turned and
fled.

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3

At nine Monday morning, Tate's mannequin face appeared on the screen
of Reich's v-phone.
"Is this line secure?" he asked sharply.
In answer Reich simply pointed to the Warranty Seal.
"All right," Tate said. "I think I've done the job for you, I peeped
@kins last night. But before I report, I must warn you. There's a chance of
error when you deep peep a 1st. @kins blocked pretty carefully."
"I understand."
"Craye D'Courtney arrives from Mars on the `Astra' next Wednesday
morning. He will go at once to Maria Beaumont's town house where he will be
a secret and hidden guest for exactly one night... No more."
"One night," Reich muttered. "And then? His plans?"
"I don't know. Apparently D'Courtney is planning some form of drastic
action---"
"Against me!" Reich growled.
"Perhaps. According to @kins, D'Courtney is under some kind of violent
strain and his adaptation pattern is shattering. The Life Instinct and
Death Instinct have defused. He is regressing under the emotional
bankruptcy very rapidly..."
"God damn it! My life depends on this," Reich raged. "Talk straight."
"It's quite simple. Every man is a balance of two opposed drives...
The Life Instinct and the Death Instinct. Both drives have the identical
purpose... to win Nirvana. The Life Instinct fights for Nirvana by smashing
all opposition. The Death Instinct attempts to win Nirvana by destroying
itself. Usually both instincts fuse in the adapted individual. Under strain
they defuse. That's what's happening to D'Courtney."
"Yes, by God! And he's jetting for me!"
"@kins will see D'Courtney Thursday morning in an effort to dissuade
him from whatever he contemplates. @kins is afraid of it and determined to
stop it. He made a flying trip from Venus to cut D'Courtney off."