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

тАЬWhen I was killed,тАЭ said Shad, тАЬChief Quinn was the head of the
Detective Bureau. Nothing left of me but memory. Chief Quinn came by the
hospital to talk with me about coming back to the force when IтАЩd copied into
my replacement meat suit. ThatтАЩs before my agent got me the duck gig.
Funny thing, though.тАЭ

тАЬWhat?тАЭ I asked.

тАЬOn that visit Quinn accidentally knocked over a cup of coffee into the
chassis of my memory unit.тАЭ

тАЬEmbarrassing.тАЭ

тАЬYeah, not to mention lethal. Lucky the hospital kept patient memory
units on continuous sync with its main engram bank.тАЭ

тАЬLucky. I say, Shad, Quinn wouldnтАЩt happen to have bomb disposal
unit experience, would he?тАЭ

тАЬFunny you should ask. Thirty years ago John Quinn started out as a
firecracker.тАЭ He paused a moment, then said, тАЬFour attempts at killing me
and still at it.тАЭ

тАЬOne must admire the fellowтАЩs resolve,тАЭ Walter observed.

тАЬI donтАЩt want to jump to conclusions, Jaggs,тАЭ said Shad, тАЬbut IтАЩm
beginning to suspect Quinn wants me out of the way.тАЭ

тАЬIs there some reason?тАЭ I asked. тАЬDo you have anything on him?тАЭ

тАЬOther than a couple of attempts at killing me, I canтАЩt think of a thing. I
know five or six really crooked detectives, though. IтАЩm guessing if they had
to sit in front of a committee they could put a substantial knot in QuinnтАЩs
political panties.тАЭ

тАЬI suppose we ought to do something about it, old fellowтАФI mean
before candidate Quinn reaches the White House, attains control of a brace
of plasma bombs, and accidentally vaporizes Devon.тАЭ

Shad turned and aimed his lens in the direction of Steeperton.
тАЬUnless we can convince that dependable expendable fellow over there to
roll on his employer before he zeroes out, all weтАЩll be left with is a dead
hunk of machinery and a prime suspect off scot-free.тАЭ

тАЬWhat do you suggest?тАЭ

ShadтАЩs micro looked at Walter. тАЬWhen I was hooked up to Walter,
getting my battery topped off, I got a look at his package. You know heтАЩs
got more than two hundred thousand recipes on file?тАЭ