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

"Scout's honor, Mr. Reich. It was `Tenser, Said The Tensor.' I wrote
it for that flop show about the crazy mathematician. They wanted nuisance
value and they sure got it. People got so sore they had to withdraw it.
Lost a fortune."
"Let's hear it."
"I couldn't do that to you."
"Come on, Duffy. I'm really curious."
"You'll regret it"
"I don't believe you."
"All right, pig," she said, and pulled the punch panel toward her.
"This pays you back for that no-guts kiss."
Her fingers and palm slipped gracefully over the panel. A tune of
utter monotony filled the room with agonizing, unforgettable banality. It
was the quintessence of every melodic cliche Reich had ever heard. No
matter what melody you tried to remember, it invariably led down the path
of familiarity to "Tenser, Said The Tensor." Then Duffy began to sing:

Eight, sir; seven, sir;
Six, sir; five, sir;
Four, sir; three, sir;
Two, sir; one!
Tenser, said the Tensor.
Tenser, said the Tensor.
Tension, apprehension,
And dissension have begun.

"Oh my God!" Reich exclaimed.
"I've got some real gone tricks in that tune," Duffy said, still
playing. "Notice the beat after `one'? That's a semicadence. Then you get
another beat after `begun.' That turns the end of the song into a
semicadence, too, so you can't ever end it. The beat keeps you running in
circles, like: Tension, apprehension, and dissension have begun. RIFF.
Tension, apprehension, and dissension have begun. RIFF. Tension, appre---"
"You little devil!" Reich started to his feet, pounding his palms on
his ears. "I'm accursed. How long is this affliction going to last?"
"Not more than a month."
"Tension, apprehension, and diss---I'm ruined. Isn't there any way
out?"
"Sure," Duffy said. "It's easy. Just ruin me." She pressed herself
against him and planted an earnest young kiss. "Lout," she murmured. "Pig.
Boob. Dolt. When are you going to drag me through the gutter? Clever-up,
dog. Why aren't you as smart as I think you are?"
"I'm smarter," he said and left.
As Reich had planned, the song established itself firmly in his mind
and echoed again and again all the way down to the street. Tenser, said the
Tensor. Tenser, said the Tensor. Tension, apprehension, and dissension have
begun. RIFF. A perfect mind-block for a non-Esper. What peeper could get
past that? Tension, apprehension, and dissension have begun.
"Much smarter," murmured Reich, and flagged a Jumper to Jerry Church's
pawnshop on the upper west side.