"Rudy Rucker - Post-Singular" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rucker Rudy)

the wily Pharaoh cuttles.

To sweeten the take, Craigor even got a small bounty from the federal Aquatic
Nuisance Species Task Force for each cuttlefish beak that he turned in. The Task
Force involvement was, however, a mixed blessing. Craigor was supposed to file
two separate electronic forms about each and every cuttlefish that he caught: one to
the Department of the Interior and one to the Department of Commerce. The feds
were hoping to gain control over the cuttles by figuring out the fine points of their life
cycle. Being the laid-back kind of guy that he was, CraigorтАЩs reports had fallen so
far behind that the feds were threatening to lift his cuttlefishing license.

3.

One Sunday afternoon, Ond Lutter, his wife Nektar and their
high-functioning-autistic ten-year-old son Chu came over for a late afternoon
cook-out on the Merz Boat. They were a less happy family than JilтАЩs.

Jil had met Ond at work; he was the fired engineer whoтАЩd put a stop to the
Nantel nants, now elevated to Chief Technical Officer of the reborn ExaExa. The
awkward Ond thought Jil was cuteтАФin a nice wayтАФand the two little families had
become friends. They got together nearly every weekend.

тАЬItтАЩs peaceful here,тАЭ said Ond, taking a long pull of his beer. He rarely drank,
and even one bottle had a noticeable effect on him. тАЬLike Eden.тАЭ He leaned back in
his white wickerwork rocker. No two chairs on the Merz Boat were the same.

тАЬWhat are those cones?тАЭ asked Nektar. She was talking about the waist-high
shiny ridged shapes that loosely ringed the area Craigor had cleared out for todayтАЩs
little party. The kids were off at the other end of the boat, Momotaro showing Chu
the latest junk and Bixie singing made-up songs that Chu tried to sing too.

тАЬCeramic jet-engine baffles,тАЭ said Jil. тАЬFrom the days before piezoplastic.
Craigor got them off the back lot at Lockheed.тАЭ

тАЬThe ridges were for reducing turbulence,тАЭ said Craigor. тАЬWe sit in an island
of serenity.тАЭ

тАЬYouтАЩre a poet, Craigor,тАЭ said Ond. The low sun illuminated his scalp through
his thinning blonde hair. тАЬItтАЩs good to have a friend like you. I have to confess that I
brought along a big surprise. And I was just thinkingтАФmy new tech will solve your
problems with generating those cuttlefish reports. ItтАЩll get your sculpture some
publicity as well.тАЭ

тАЬFar be it from me to pry into Chief Engineer OndтАЩs geeksome plans,тАЭ said
Craigor easily. тАЬAs for my diffuse but rewarding oeuvreтАФтАЭ He made an expansive
gesture that encompassed the whole deck. тАЬAn open book. Unfortunately IтАЩm too
planktonic for fame. I transcend encapsulation.тАЭ

тАЬPlanktonic?тАЭ said Jil, smiling at her raffish husband, always off in his own
world.