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

doneтАФthat I still have left to do. I have a job to do, duty, a purpose.тАЭ

тАЬChange the job,тАЭ I said. тАЬFind new work, a new duty, choose a
different purpose. ThatтАЩs the power you now have.тАЭ

She stood and was rather small. Beautiful child, a head full of pale
brown curls. What an assassin she must have made. Who could look at that
and see death coming?

тАЬWhy are you three here?тАЭ she asked. тАЬYou could have destroyed me
or simply let me zero out.тАЭ She held her hands to her face. тАЬMy head. I have
a head filled with nightmares, a heart that wants to cry, and no tear ducts.тАЭ
She lowered her hands. тАЬWhat do you want of me?тАЭ

тАЬFor myself,тАЭ I began, тАЬI want you to give information to the authorities
on your arrangement with John Quinn and testify to it in court. Then it will be
time to explore all of the other times you were used to commit illegal acts
by testifying against your former masters.тАЭ

Shad said, тАЬIтАЩd really like to know why Quinn is so obsessed with
killing me. Why this elaborate plan?тАЭ

Alice Blue looked at Walter. тАЬAs for me, Miss Alice,тАЭ he said, тАЬIтАЩd like
to give you the name of my therapist. He may be able to help you sort out
some of those nightmares.тАЭ

тАЬKill you three or start a whole new existence; is that about it?тАЭ

Shad, Walter, and I looked among ourselves, shrugged, agreed, and
nodded. тАЬYes,тАЭ I said to her. тАЬThatтАЩs about it.тАЭ

тАЬThe tin man and the flying lipstick are just suits,тАЭ she said, indicating
Walter and Shad. тАЬTheir engrams are safe in Rent-A-Mech headquarters.тАЭ
She pointed at me. тАЬAll of you that is you is right here. Correct?тАЭ

тАЬThat is correct,тАЭ I answered.

тАЬWhat if I kill you?тАЭ

тАЬThen youтАЩd become a murderer.тАЭ

She held out her hands. тАЬWhat do you think I already am!тАЭ

тАЬYou were used for the commission of terrible acts, Miss Alice,тАЭ said
Walter. тАЬYou now have the ability to become the means through which
those acts are made right. You can choose to bring those responsible to
justice. Before you were a tool; now you are only a tool if you choose to
be.тАЭ

тАЬI can choose to kill.тАЭ She looked at each of us in turn, her expression