"Janet Kagan - Mirabile" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kagan Janet)

they look good,тАЭ it said, тАЬand the troops have returned from the Guernsey wars
triumphant. WeтАЩll call if we need you. You do the same.тАЭ
тАЬYou forgot to say how your hand is, dummy,тАЭ I growled at the screenтАФthen
typed the same in, for him to find in the morning.
The first-level gene-read on the violets went fast. The hard part was running it
through shipsтАЩ records looking for a match or a near match. I could let that run all
night while I slept through it.
Susan brought the rock lobster and peered over my shoulder as she set it down.
тАЬMama Jason, I can keep an eye on that while you eat if you like.тАЭ
тАЬSure,тАЭ I said, getting up to give her the chair. Leo and I dug into our lobster,
with an occasional glance at the monitor. тАЬWatch this part, Leo,тАЭ I said. Susan had
already finished the preliminary and was looking for any tacked-on genes that might
be readable.
SusanтАЩs fingers danced, then she peered at the screen like she was trying to see
through it. Mike gets that same look. I suppose I do, too. тАЬMama Jason, I canтАЩt see
anything but the primary helix.тАЭ
тАЬOkay.тАЭ Neither did I. тАЬTry a match with violets.тАЭ To Leo, I added, тАЬWe might
as well try the easy stuff first. Why run the all-night program if you donтАЩt have to.тАЭ I
ducked into the bathroom to wash rock lobster and butter off my fingers.
тАЬNo luck,тАЭ Susan called to me.
When I came out, Leo had disappointment written all over his face. тАЬBuck up,тАЭ I
said. тАЬWeтАЩre not giving up that easily. Susan, ask the computer if itтАЩs got a pattern
for something called a тАШpansyтАЩ or a тАШpansies.тАЩтАЭ
тАЬтАШPansy,тАЩтАЭ said Leo and he spelled it for her.
It did. Luckily, that wasnтАЩt one of the areas weтАЩd lost data in. тАЬOh, Mama Jason!тАЭ
said Susan, тАЬWill you look at that?тАЭ
 We had a match.
тАЬLeo, you lucky dog!тАЭ I said. тАЬYour grandma would be proud of you!тАЭ
His jaw dropped. тАЬYou meanтАФthey really are pansies?тАЭ
тАЬDead on,тАЭ I told him, while Susan grinned like crazy. I patted her on the
shoulderтАФand gave her a bit of a nudge toward the door at the same time. тАЬYou
bring Susan a sample of the ones you planted around your place, just so she can
double-check for stability. But I think youтАЩve got exactly what you hoped you had.тАЭ
I pointed to the left side of the screen. тАЬAccording to this, they should come in
just about every color of the rainbow. We may have to goose them a bit for
thatтАФunless you prefer them all red?тАЭ
тАЬAuthentic,тАЭ said Leo, тАЬI want them Earth-authentic, as long as youтАЩre asking me
.тАЭ
тАЬOkay. Tomorrow then,тАЭ I told Susan. She grinned once more and left.
I sat down at the computer again. Wrote the stuff on the pansy to local
memoryтАФthen I cleared the screen and called up everything shipsтАЩ records had on
otters.
They didnтАЩt eat water lilies, and they didnтАЩt come eight feet long. Pointing to the
genes in question, I told Leo this.
тАЬDoes that mean there is a monster in the lake?тАЭ
тАЬI canтАЩt tell you that. IтАЩm not terribly concerned about something that eats water
lilies, Leo, but I do want to know if itтАЩs chaining up to something else.тАЭ
тАЬHow do we find out?тАЭ
тАЬI snag a cell sample from the beasties.тАЭ
Again his lips pressed together in that wry way. тАЬMay I offer you what assistance