"Barry B. Longyear - The Hangingstone Rat" - читать интересную книгу автора (Longyear Barry)

тАЬDay by day the signal grew weaker, then all of a sudden died. The
bloody thing canтАЩt even maintain memory, sir, much less project the
crime scene.тАЭ

тАЬWho copied it for the inquiry file?тАЭ

тАЬThat jurisdictional thing again, sir. Everyone assumed that the
authority who placed the prang also copied it.тАЭ

тАЬSo no one copied it.тАЭ
 тАЬA proper cock-up,тАЭ he stated.

I looked down at the Persian rug on the floor, its design filled with
happy blues and yellows. Whoever set the trap attached that scene
analyzer to the logan stone. ThatтАЩs why the unitтАЩs serial number appeared in
no oneтАЩs records. It was a real prang, though, authentic enough to get Shad
and me there. It was the genuine article. The power supply, thereforeтАФ

After a beat of stunned silence, my headache was temporarily
forgotten. тАЬThanks for ringing me up, Parker. I appreciate it more than I can
say.тАЭ

тАЬNot at allтАФтАЭ

I hung up, stood, and limped down the hall into the kitchen where
Walter, our Rent-A-Mech, was finishing up the breakfast dishes.

Walter was one of thousands of the same model mechanical
purchased years ago by ExeterтАЩs Rent-A-Mech, Ltd. to go in service on a
lease basis only to have all of their workers emancipated by Parliament
because modified human engram based artificial intelligence was included
in the Parliamentary Reform Act of 2132. The mechs, in response, bought
the firm from the owners whom they kept on to run the company. All
Rent-A-Mechs in the city looked like twentieth-century actor Stephen Fry in
his role as Jeeves, had that venerable valetтАЩs epidermis been made of
brushed titanium. Since the takeover, however, the livery in most cases had
been traded in on more casual wear. It depended on the client. Walter wore
earth tones and corduroy at our place.

тАЬWalter,тАЭ I said, тАЬare you free for the remainder of the day? I know
you have other clients.тАЭ

тАЬI am yours to command, sir. If dinner is to be served here at the
usual time, however, I should begin preparations at around five.тАЭ

тАЬCan you drive Val, Nadine, and me out to the north moor near
Okehampton?тАЭ

тАЬIndeed I can, sir. When would that be?тАЭ IтАЩd urged him to call me
Harry, but Walter said it just wouldnтАЩt do.