"Robert Reed - Like Need Deserve" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reed Robert)

"Or kids. I bought another audience, from a different source. Three dozen six-year-olds in a playroom, and all I had to do was read knock-knock jokes."

"Ah. The venerable knock-knock."

A pause. Then, "Are you real?"

Laughter again, but less amiable.

"I was just wondering. It's hard to tell these days. The technology тАж it's so easy to manufacture AIs тАж"

"'Manufacture' is a rather inadequate word. Sir."

"Sorry."

"I don't 'manufacture' audiences."

"I said I'm sorry."

"I culture my people. On a template of human-inspired personality features, I can produce up to a thousand coherent individuals, each with individual quirks, distinct appreciations, and highly defined talents."

"Yeah. I know how it's done."

"Each face that you will see covers a viable, legal pseudohuman."

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Silence.

"Your interest in comedy, sir. Is it work-related?"

"Pardon?"

"Will you be touring the nation, performing at various comedy venues?"

"God, no. No. I just want to be able to tell a joke at dinner parties." Silence. "And I don't want a drunk audience, either. I've gone that route. In the middle of my show, they jumped up and started smacking each other."

"My, that sounds like a fun get-together."

"WhatтАФ?"

"Another joke, sir."

"Well, don't."

"Of course. My thoroughest apologies."

Silence. Then, "Fifty people. Sober and smart. What will they cost me?"