"Samuel R. Delany - Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones" - читать интересную книгу автора (Delaney Samuel R)

mistakes. But my name is Eventide. Not Eldrich. Harmony C. Eventide. And isnтАЩt it lucky for all and
sundry that the Word changes tonight?тАЭ Passed the way it is, the Word is no big secret to the cops. But
IтАЩve met policemen up to a week after change date who were not privy.

тАШWell, then: Harmony. I want to talk to you.тАЬ
I raised an eyebrow.

She raised one back and said, тАЬLook, if you want to be called Henrietta, itтАЩs all right by me. But you
listen.тАЭ

тАШWhat do you want to talk about?тАЬ

тАЬCrime, MrтАж ?тАЭ

тАЬEventide. IтАЩm going to call you Maud, so you might as well call me Harmony. It really is my name.тАЭ

Maud smiled. She wasnтАЩt a young woman. I think she even had a few years on Business Man. But she
used make-up better than he did. тАЬI probably know more about crime than you do,тАЭ she said. тАЬIn fact I
wouldnтАЩt be surprised if you hadnтАЩt even heard of my branch of the police department. What does
Special Services mean to you?тАЭ

тАЬThatтАЩs right, IтАЩve never heard of it.тАЭ

тАЬYouтАЩve been more or less avoiding the Regular Service with alacrity for the past seven years.тАЭ

тАЬOh, Maud, really-тАЭ

тАЬSpecial Services is reserved for people whose nuisance value has suddenly taken a sharp riseтАж a sharp
enough rise to make our little lights start blinking.тАЭ

тАЬSurely I havenтАЩt done anything so dreadful thatтАФтАЭ

тАШWe donтАЩt look at what you do. A computer does that for us. We simply keep checking the first
derivative of the graphed out curve that bears your number. Your slope is rising sharply.тАЬ

тАЬNot even the dignity of a nameтАФтАЭ

тАЬWeтАЩre the most efficient department in the Police Organization. Take it as bragging if you wish. Or just a
piece of information.тАЭ

тАЬWell, well, well,тАЭ I said. тАЬHave a drink?тАЭ The little man in the white coat left us two, looked puzzled at
MaudтАЩs finery, then went to do something else.

тАЬThanks.тАЭ She downed half her glass like someone stauncher than that wrist would indicate. тАЬIt doesnтАЩt
pay to go after most criminals. Take your big-time racketeers, Farnesworth, The Hawk, Blavatskia.
Take your little snatch-purses, small-time pushers, housebreakers or vice-impresarios. Both at the top
and the bottom of the scale, their incomes are pretty stable. They donтАЩt really upset the social boat.
Regular Services handles them both. They think they do a good job. WeтАЩre not going to argue. But say a
little pusher starts to become a big-time pusher; a medium-sized vice-impresario sets his sights on
becoming a full-fledged racketeer; thatтАЩs when you get problems with socially unpleasant repercussions.