"James Patrick Kelly - Fruitcake Theory (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kelly James Patrick)

heads
up." She turns away but catches herself. "HowтАЩs Bjorn
working out?"
"He should do more sit ups."
She sighs, but the vein subsides. "ItтАЩs two-thirty in
the morning, Maggie. Not even Hack Bumbledom is funny
at
two-thirty in the morning."
"Want me to pick you up some fruitcake? ItтАЩs full of
information."
"This could be big." She brushes snow off my
shoulder.
"IтАЩll be in the security office."
Followers and their families are scattered
strategically
around the room. When we take roosters on field
trips,
we try to minimize their access to the mundane world.
If
we can, we clear a site completely; otherwise we drop
by
unannounced and late at night. WeтАЩre in and out
before
the media and the Kuvat chasers and the oddjobs
arrive.
There are a few civilians shopping at this ungodly
hour,
and of course the staff of all the stores are
mundanes,
but weтАЩve got good coverage.
The Live Night Mall is "Y" shaped. Ribbons of light
hang
from its vaulted glass ceiling; they shiver in the
warm
breeze that blows from the ventilators. Each of the
arms
is lined with the usual assortment of shops selling
games, infodumps, shoes, T-shirts, ties, hats,
kitchenware, software, artware, candy, toys, candles,
 perfumes and pheromones. You can get a skin tint, a
hair
style, or walk-in liposuction. At the end of each of
its
arms is an anchor store, a Sears & Penny, a Food
Chief,
and a Home Depot. The three arms come together in a
vast, garish, and noisy cluster of fast food
storefronts. Bjorn might be right about the number of
ethnics; I donтАЩt think IтАЩve ever seen Icelandic in a
mall before. At the hub of the mall there must be a