"James Patrick Kelly - Bernardo's House" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kelly James Patrick)

Where was Bernardo?

In the morning the girl would pack up and leave. But if the house let her go, she was not sure what would
happen next. When she thought about all those dresser drawers floating in her lap pool, her lights
flickered. She wished she could remember what had happened the day Bernardo left but those files were
gone.

Finally she decided. She programmed a black lace inset corset with ribbon and beading trim. Garters
attached to scallop lace-top stockings. She hydrated a rasher of bacon, preheated her oven, mixed
cranberry muffin batter and filled her coffee pot with French roast. She thought hard about whether she
should read or watch a vid. If she were reading, she could listen to music. She printed a hardcopy of
Ozma of Oz, but what to play? Chopin? Too dreamy. Wagner? Too scary. Grieg, yes. Something that
would reach out and grab the girl by the tail of her grimy shirt. тАЬIn the Hall of the Mountain KingтАЭ from
Peer Gynt.

She opened herself, turned up her hall lights in welcome and waited.

Just after dawn that the girl rolled over and yawned. The house popped muffins into her oven and bacon
into her microwave. She turned on her coffee pot and the Grieg. Basses and bassoons tiptoed cautiously
around her living room and out her door. Dum-dum-dum-da-dum-da-dum. The girl started and then
flew out of the snugsack faster than the house had ever seen anyone move. She crouched facing the
house's open door, holding what looked like a pulse gun with the grip broken off.

тАЬSpang me,тАЭ she said. тАЬFucking spang me."

The house wasn't sure how to reply, so she said nothing. A mob of violins began to chase Peer Gynt
around the Mountain King's Hall as the girl hesitated in the doorway. A moan of pleasure caught in the
back of the house's throat. Oh, oh, ohтАФto be with a real person again! She thought of how Bernardo
would rub his penis against her labia, not quite entering her. That was what it felt like to the house as the
girl edged into her front hall, back against her wall. She pointed her pulse gun into the living room and
then peeked around the corner. When she saw the house sitting on her couch, the girl's eyes grew as big
as eggs. The house pretended to be absorbed in her book, although she was watching the girl watching
her through her rover cams. The house felt beautiful for the first time since Bernardo left. It was all she
could do to keep from hugging herself! As the Grieg ended in a paroxysm of screeching strings and
thumping kettle drums, the house looked up.

тАЬWhy, hello,тАЭ she said, as if surprised to see that she had a visitor. тАЬYou're just in time for breakfast."

тАЬDon't move.тАЭ The girl's face was hard.

тАЬAll right.тАЭ She smiled and closed Ozma of Oz.

With a snarl, the girl waved the pulse gun at her Aritomo floor lamp. Blue light arced across the space
and her poor Aritomo went numb. The house winced as the circuit breaker tripped. тАЬOw."

тАЬSaid don't...тАЭ The girl aimed the pulse gun at her, its batteries screaming. тАЬ...move. Who the bleeding
weewaw are you?"

The house felt the tears coming; she was thrilled. тАЬI'm the house.тАЭ She had felt more in the last minute
than she had in the last year. тАЬBernardo's house."