"Barry B. Longyear - Murder in Parliment Street" - читать интересную книгу автора (Longyear Barry)

a file, and said without looking up, тАЬTry and enjoy yourself, Jaggers. Hate to
waste a perfectly good gesture.тАЭ

****

It was going to be a good night out. I called Val with the news and she
suggested a double date with Shad and Nadine. Val was a golden
Tonkinese bio and her orange tabby bio friend had been steady dating
Shad. I put it to my partner and Shad decided to shake off his mood and
agreed to go with us to a showing of The Adventures of Robin Hood at
ExeterтАЩs Picture House. Part of the filmтАЩs appeal to the AB culture was
because a generic bio used to replace fallen police males in Britain some
decades ago bore a striking resemblance to twentieth century actor Basil
Rathbone. Besides Sherlock Holmes, Rathbone also played Sir Guy
Gisbourne, Sheriff of Nottingham in the 1938 Robin Hood classic. What
amused me about the film, aside from being a detective and wearing one
of those Sheriff of Nottingham meat suits myself, was the strong
resemblance of Dr. Hitchins, the current Archbishop of Canterbury, to the
actor Eugene Pallette who played Friar Tuck. The archbishop was a very
outspokenтАФdare I say rabidтАФopponent not only of AB rights but of AB
existence, which is why Eugene Pallette always drew some good natured
booing from the ABs in the audience every time he appeared on screen.

Shad and his date shared a seat. Val, of course, watched from my lap
while I scratched her ears. I had disabled my wireless interface, the theater
was darkening, and the new stadium seating was packed with just about
every kind of artificial being in town, bio and mech, amdroid and android, as
well as the occasional human natural. The flick had barely begun when
ShadтАЩs head went back, shook, and faced me, his bill dropping open. I
sighed glumly, knowing either it was a call from Heavitree Tower or Shad
was suffering a massive stroke. Either way the eveningтАЩs entertainment was
concluded.

тАЬItтАЩs Parker,тАЭ Shad quacked.

тАЬTold you to disable your wireless.тАЭ

тАЬExeter cops have a dead bio, Jaggs. Parker says itтАЩs on Parliament
Street and he canтАЩt fit. WhatтАЩs he mean he canтАЩt fit?тАЭ

тАЬIt means heтАЩs too big to fit in the street,тАЭ I answered curtly as evil
Prince John and the sheriff conversed up on the screen. тАЬCall in the cruiser
and run up the mechs.тАЭ I bent over and said to Val, тАЬIтАЩm terribly sorry, dear,
but we have a call.тАЭ

тАЬHarry,тАЭ Val purred, тАЬNadine and I can make it home on our own. You
two go and take your call.тАЭ

тАЬWeтАЩll be fine,тАЭ Nadine mewed to Shad. тАЬTake care.тАЭ