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

clever young woman who had written some brilliant jingles for his sales
division and some devastating strike-breaking songs for Propaganda back
when Monarch needed everything to smash last year's labor fracas. Her name
was Duffy Wyg&. To Reich she was the epitome of the modern career
girl---the virgin seductress.
"Well, Duffy?" He kissed her casually. She was as shapely as a
sales-curve, pretty, but a trifle too young.
"Well, Mr. Reich?" She looked at him oddly. "Some day I'm going to
hire one of those Lonely-Heart Peepers to case your kiss. I keep thinking
you don't mean business."
"I don't."
"Dog."
"A man has to make up his mind early, Duffy. If he kisses girls he
kisses his money goodbye."
"You kiss me."
"Only because you're the image of the lady on the credit."
"Pip," she said.
"Pop," he said.
"Bim," she said.
"Bam," he said.
"I'd like to kill the bem who invented that fad," Duffy said darkly.
"All right, handsome. What's your problem?"
"Gambling," Reich said. "Ellery West, my Rec director, is complaining
about the gambling in Monarch. Says there's too much. Personally I don't
care."
"Keep a man in debt and he's afraid to ask for a raise."
"You're entirely too smart, young lady."
"So you want a no-gamble-type song?"
"Something like that. Catchy. Not too obvious. More a delayed action
than a straight propaganda tune. I'd like the conditioning to be more or
less unconscious."
Duffy nodded and made quick notes.
"And make it a tune worth hearing. I'll have to listen to God knows
how many people singing and whistling and humming it."
"You louse. All my tunes are worth hearing."
"Once."
"That's a thousand extra on your tab."
Reich laughed. "Speaking of monotony..." he continued smoothly.
"Which we weren't."
"What's the most persistent tune you ever wrote?"
"Persistent?"
"You know what I mean. Like those advertising jingles you can't get
out of your head."
"Oh. Pepsis, we call 'em."
"Why?"
"Dunno. They say because the first one was written centuries ago by a
character named Pepsi. I don't buy that. I wrote one once..." Duffy winced
in recollection. "Hate to think of it even now. Guaranteed to obsess you
for a month. It haunted me for a year."
"You're rocketting."