"Larry Niven & Steve Barnes - The California Voodoo Game" - читать интересную книгу автора (Niven Larry)

began to move.

"Of course what?"

"Of course it's obvious." He couldn't delay acknowledgments any longer.
"Hi, Griff. Hi, Sharon ... Caine?"

She was small and dark-haired and pretty; she looked quite military in her
crisp, blue Cowles Security uniform. "Crayne. Sharon Crayne. Good evening,
Game Master." Her smile was incandescent. He wondered how it tasted.

He bet Good Ol' Griff knew.

"I'll finish this later. How goes?"

"You're changing the Game," Crayne said disapprovingly.

"Is a bear Polish? But only just a little bit, Sharon, and I'll record all
changes for Security, and it's trivial anyway. We've put snorkels and scuba
gear in the Mall level, right?" His fingers were a floating blur in the
keyboard. "The Gaming teams have to use it on the flooded levels, but
getting it there will be an exercise in masochism."

"That's a fair description of the whole Game," Alex Griffln said. "five teams
of masochists submitting themselves to the tender mercies of Tony
McWhirter. "
"Well ... me and four other gentle souls." Tony felt warm and chummy. Alex
could do that to him, if they were face to face. It was easy to forget the
intense intelligence behind those dark green eyes and the tremendous
strength and technique that had once held Tony McWhirter as helpless as a
baby. Tony grinned like a minstrel. "Yes, boss. Isn't it obvious? If there was
diving gear for sale before the Quake, somebody must have been buying it.
So I'll put some in the upper apartments, too."

Griffln chuckled. "You're getting sly in your old age. Why aren't you
partying?"

"I thought if I went through the territory again, I'd come up with something
more."

"You've got four hundred NPCs out there, all partying their hearts out in the
forty hours left before your Game begins." Alex Griffln was being just a
little bit careful with his tongue. Might have been drinking, yes? Never seen
Alex drunk. Might be interesting to douse his punch with a little Kleerlite
190 proof. "Why not go out and get a little adulation? Your public awaits. "

"Uh-huh." Tony's cheeks were getting tired, and he relaxed the grin. "What
are you doing here?"

"Routine check. We need our screens back, Tony. Wrap this up, would you?"