"James Patrick Kelly - Big Guy" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kelly James Patrick)

тАЬWhere did you link?тАЭ Murph asked.

тАЬThe usual.тАЭ Bumpus eased onto his workseat and lowered the console.

тАЬLike?тАЭ

тАЬLike around.тАЭ Icons began to wink off Murph's screens as Bumpus picked up both lists. тАЬHere and
there.тАЭ He had a high shiny forehead; he rubbed it absently. тАЬLet's see ... Bliss Market. I peeked at Exit
13.тАЭ His night out did not seem to have made much of an impression. тАЬAnd Future Shock, I think that's
where I ended up.тАЭ

тАЬWay Out?тАЭ

He yawned. тАЬYour kink, not mine. What's your sixteen site again?тАЭ

тАЬKrill Grill on D deck.тАЭ

тАЬLooks like nobody'sтАФoh, there she is, coming out of the head. Probably bopping her hair.тАЭ He
swivelled to face another wall of screens. тАЬIsn't much action on the haunts these days. Or if there is, I
sure as hell can't find it.тАЭ

тАЬNot like it used to be, eh Bumpus?тАЭ

тАЬMaybe never was.тАЭ The last icon cleared from Murph's screen. тАЬThink next time I'll just take a walk.тАЭ

тАЬA walk?тАЭ

тАЬWalk. You know, with my feet.тАЭ He waved randomly at a bulkhead. тАЬOff the ship into town.тАЭ

тАЬNext you'll be worshipping the sun and eating dirt.тАЭ

Bumpus's mouth twisted. тАЬWhen was the last time you left ship?тАЭ

тАЬIt's Kansas out there, remember?тАЭ Murph didn't have time to wander off. He was carrying a list of
forty-seven sites. тАЬSee one amber wave of grain, you've seen them all.тАЭ

тАЬYeah, but how many bedrooms can you watch before you crack?тАЭ

тАЬYour kink, Bumpus. Not mine.тАЭ

Bumpus grunted and tapped at his console. Murph realized that he'd gotten more reaction out of
Bumpus in the last ten seconds than in the previous two years.

тАЬOkay.тАЭ Bumpus slumped back in his workseat like a balloon with a slow leak. тАЬYour list accepted at
23:17:38. Six hours of free time, starting now. Live fast, fat man.тАЭ He broke the link.

Bumpus had been Murph's only active screen. When he wiped Murph without warning, the cabin went
dark. тАЬHey!тАЭ He had left Murph utterly disconnected from the world. No input, no output. It spooked
him. Only two of the six surfaces of Murph's cabin were not screens: the floor and the utility wall. Murph