"Dennis Danvers - Circuit of Heaven" - читать интересную книгу автора (Danvers Dennis)

тАЬItтАЩs no big deal,тАЭ Nemo lied, imagining the years ahead of him, rotting in some dorm until he was
eighteen or the law changed, whichever came first. Then theyтАЩd expect him to join dear old Mum and
Dad in the Bin forever. They could stuff that idea. He was never going in.

Lawrence was watching him from the bed, letting him feel sorry for himself. тАЬWhatтАЩre your real names?тАЭ
Nemo asked him, trying to be smart.

тАЬLawrence.тАЭ

тАЬI mean your real names. ArenтАЩt you made up of bits and pieces of a bunch of different people, who
used to be real, with their own names?тАЭ

Nemo thought Lawrence smiled, but he couldnтАЩt be sure. тАЬThatтАЩs right. But our nameтАЩs Lawrence, now.тАЭ

Nemo figured Lawrence was just holding out on him. тАЬMy science teacher says that when they started
making you guys, you werenтАЩt supposed to remember who you used to be, but no matter what they did,
you remembered anyway, because self-consciousness reconstitutes itself from any significant portion of
the whole person.тАЭ Nemo was quite good in science and, at ten, quite proud of the fact.

This time he was sure it was a smile, but he didnтАЩt know what was so damn funny, and he wasnтАЩt about
to let that slow him down. тАЬHe said that when all those self-consciousnesses wake up stuck inside some
lizard body or something weird, taking care of kids or being policemen or some other crap job, they must
be pretty pissed off. He said a Construct has three or four names at leastтАФbut the one he tells you isnтАЩt
real. ItтАЩs like a brand name or something.тАЭ

Lawrence bobbed his head up and down slowly. The smile was gone. His voice had an edge to it no
cartoon dragonтАЩs ever had. тАЬYour science teacherтАЩs about half right and half stupid. We donтАЩt use those
other names anymore. Those people are dead, you understand? NameтАЩs Lawrence, if thatтАЩs okay with
you and your science teacher.тАЭ
Nemo finally realized he was being a jerk. тАЬIтАЩm sorry, Lawrence,тАЭ he said, and he meant it.

Lawrence shrugged. тАЬNo offense taken. You got a right to know who youтАЩre dealing with.тАЭ

тАЬI thought you guys were illegal,тАЭ he said, but heтАЩd taken the smart out of his voice

тАЬWeтАЩre one of the last ones made. Your parents pulled some strings to get us.тАЭ

тАЬUncle Winston?тАЭ Uncle Winston was MomтАЩs brother, a senator, the family hot shit. The family visited
him every Sunday in the Bin, had tea in the garden, or in front of a roaring fire.

тАЬThatтАЩs the man,тАЭ Lawrence said.

тАЬWhat an asshole.тАЭ

Lawrence laughed. тАЬWe couldnтАЩt possibly comment,тАЭ he said in the British voice.

тАЬSo whatтАЩre you supposed to be?тАЭ Nemo asked. тАЬMy butler or babysitter or something?тАЭ

тАЬCaretaker. WeтАЩll take care of you.тАЭ