"Victor Koman - Death's Dimensions" - читать интересную книгу автора (Koman Victor)

She gestured toward a cart on which lay a pair of clear plastic sacks filled
with opaque gray liquid, one labeled with a skull and crossbones, one with
a bright yellow happy face. тАЬThis oneтАЭтАФshe picked up the deathтАЩs head
bagтАФ тАЬis a poison that will kill you in a matter of seconds. This
otherтАЭтАФshe showed him the smiling bagтАФтАЬwill help you overcome yourтАж
predicament. Blink your eyes once for poison or twice for salvation.тАЭ
His mouth opened slightly, teeth pressing against his lower lip.
тАЬFuhтАФтАЭ
тАЬWhat?тАЭ She leaned closer to him, picking up a pair of bandage scissors
and delicately snipping away the gauze from his throat and jaw. Saliva
drooled across his cheek.
тАЬFffтАж Fuh-false dichotomy.тАЭ
She laid the scissors aside and frowned.
The Pharmaceutic smiled. тАЬI think that means he doesnтАЩt want to play.тАЭ
тАЬIt doesnтАЩt matter anyway,тАЭ she said to Virgil. тАЬIтАЩd have switched labels
to make sure youтАЩd get this one.тАЭ She held up the bottle with the happy
face. тАЬThe otherтАЩs just colored water.тАЭ
She pulled an IV stand over to the table. тАЬIтАЩm injecting this into you,
false dichotomy or not. The Brennen Trust bought out the premium on
your insurance policy. WeтАЩve bailed you out for a reason and we want a
return on our investment. Or would you prefer to remain wrapped and
strapped forever?тАЭ
Virgil lay absolutely still, every muscle locked in rigid tension. WhatтАЩs
the dance sheтАЩs treading? I thought I had her code. Maybe all I have is
her cipher. Yes. Cipher to know what sheтАЩs saying, no code to know what
she means. If I could get out of my room, maybe I can escape from this
one, too. Three, four, five times IтАЩll try.
Slowly, his gaze never leaving hers, Virgil nodded as far as his swathing
allowed. Then he stopped, reconsidered the question, and shook his head
slowly from side to side.
тАЬFine,тАЭ Trine said. тАЬSteve, you can take it now.тАЭ
The Pharmaceutic brought a needle kit over to VirgilтАЩs side. He wore an
impeccably benign smile. The IV package unsealed with a crackle of
plastic. In the corner of the room, a videoscrim panel fluxed to zoom in on
the operation.
The only patch of KinneyтАЩs flesh other than his face to lay open and
exposed was the injection port in his left wrist surgically sewn and laser
welded to skin and vein. The old man pushed the blunted needle into the
plastic valve. It clicked bayonet-style into place.
Steve draped the tubing through the flow regulator and switched it on.
The murky gray serum trickled slowly toward VirgilтАЩs arm. The
electroencephalograph and brain wave topograph registered the
imperceptible changes in KinneyтАЩs brain. These appeared as shifting colors
on an output scrim visible only to the Pharmaceutic.
ItтАЩs not working, Virgil thought. Whatever theyтАЩre trying is failing. I
donтАЩt feel any different. Should I gloat? No. Play along. How should I act,
though? I need to find something to finish Master Snoop and Nightsheet
once and for all. Something big. Straight, straight.
Trine bent over the side of the table. She spoke quietly to Kinney while
the Pharmaceutic administered the serum.