"Burstein, Michael A - Heisenberg's Magazine" - читать интересную книгу автора (Burstein Michael A)

HEISENBERG'S MAGAZINE
by
Michael A. Burstein
Copyright й 1997 by Michael A. Burstein. All rights reserved.
First appearance in Analog, March 1997.
Things seemed a bit strange in the new offices of Dell Magazines. I always like
to know what the place looks like where I send my stories, so I had arranged to
have lunch with Stan Schmidt on the Tuesday after they moved to their new
building next to Radio City Music Hall. I arrived a little early, and told the
receptionist that I was here to see anyone from Analog, just in case Stan wasn't
in yet.
"Hold on," she said, dialing an extension on the phone. The reception area felt
empty, even with the cardboard boxes everywhere. I think it was the relatively
small pile of mail on the receptionist's desk that made it seem so empty.
In a minute, the entire editorial staff of Analog ran down the hall to greet me.
The exotic Tina Lee, the muscular Scott Towner, the beauteous Sharah Thomas --
everyone except Stan. Tina had galleys for me, and Scott proudly handed me a box
filled with copies of the July 1995 issue I had ordered.
"Thanks, guys." I looked down at all the stuff they had handed me, and when I
looked up, Tina and Scott had already gone. That was fast, I thought. Sharah
still waited for me.
I reached into my bookbag and surreptitiously handed Sharah a submission for
Asimov's, so Stan wouldn't know about it. We hugged in greeting; Sharah and I
had become good friends since we first met at the Nebulas in 1995 and discovered
that we had attended Harvard together and lived in the same dorms.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you guys as you're settling in," I said to her as she
led me to their cubicles.
A smile lit up her face. "Think nothing of it. I would stop the world just to
get a phone call from you."
We arrived at the cubicles. Sharah said goodbye and disappeared behind a
partition.
Stan was on the telephone, looking none the worse for wear despite the bump on
the head I gave him with a Hugo rocket back in the "Probability Zero" section of
the October 1995 issue. (Look it up, I'll wait.) As always, his eyes twinkled
with delight when he saw me. He was even more pleased to see me than ever
before, and I wasn't sure why. Maybe it had something to do with the Analytical
Laboratory Award, the Hugo nomination, or the Campbell nomination.
He hung up the phone and said, "Michael! Are you ready? I want to try a new
restaurant today, Argentine Pavillion. New to me, I mean; I've never eaten
there, but I've seen it before."
"OK by me. Know where it is?"
"Yep. I've been by it a dozen times. Let's go." I dropped my stuff in his office
cubicle, and we headed out onto Sixth Avenue. I followed Stan to 46th Street,
and we walked up and down it twice. All the while Stan kept looking around.
Finally, we stopped in front of an abandoned storefront. "It's not here," he
said.
"What do you mean?"
"I could have sworn this was it."
I thought for a moment. "Well, we have two choices. We can go back to the
offices and look it up, or we can call Information on a pay phone."