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

I stood and put Val down on the seat as Shad hopped off their seat
and followed me out into the aisle at a brisk waddle.

Outside the sky was dark, the wind coming up from the Exe dank and
chilly. Tarp fields protecting the unfinished new apartment construction
across Bartholomew from the theater cast the street in a powder blue glow.
I turned up my collar against the chill, but only a bit to conserve the charge.

тАЬCruiserтАЩs on the way, Jaggs. Parker says heтАЩs running his command
post out of Broadgate.тАЭ

тАЬShad, do you still have that can of flea spray we picked up from the
chemistтАЩs last time we worked with Parker? I canтАЩt afford to bring an
infestation home with me again. Val is terribly sensitive.тАЭ

тАЬThat canтАЩs gone,тАЭ said the duck with a smirk, which is not easily done
with a bill. тАЬI mixed the flea spray in the can with deodorant, had the mix put
in a cut glass atomizer I got at Boots, gift wrapped it, and gave it to Parker
during that fireworks show yesterday.тАЭ

I frowned. тАЬGuy Fawkes Day.тАЭ

тАЬWhatever. I told Parker it was cologne. Eau Le Monk, all the rage
among the simian set, and Merry Fawkesmas. He was quite moved.тАЭ
 тАЬGuy Fawkes attempted to blow up Parliament, Shad. We donтАЩt
usually give presents on Guy Fawkes Day.тАЭ

тАЬI imagine that depends on your opinion of Parliament. Parker is,
however, using the spray.тАЭ

тАЬYou are a devious duck.тАЭ

тАЬThanks. Now, if we can only get Parker to make it to a loo before he
takes a dump, there will be peace in our time.тАЭ He looked up in the direction
of the PennsylvaniaтАФSt. Thomas Corridor, the traffic in the air vector
sparse at this time of night. тАЬHereтАЩs our ride.тАЭ

The cruiser, an issue gray and electric-green Sky Rover Metropolitan,
descended in front of us, its green strobe array flashing, its doors rotating
up as the wheels touched down on Bartholomew. Shad flew into the driver
side and I entered the passenger side, checking the mechs in back on my
way in. They were mechanical vehicles of various sizes and configurations
into which we could copy our engrams while our bodies were held in stasis.
The mechs were able to go places and do things the duck and I couldnтАЩt.
Parker couldтАЩve used a mech to work his crime scene, but he numbered
copying among his many phobias and there was simply no point in arguing
with him about it. Green readouts on the bed panels showed mechs
operational, charged, internal laboratories stocked and ready, our engrams
as of this morning copied into the Heavitree mainframe.