"Michael Marshall Smith - Dying" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith Michael Marshall)

then hurried off toward the stores. ThereтАЩs always something new to buy, always
something new. Ng watched them with an odd expression on his face, and I realized
that despite being in the army, he was one of us, one of the people whoтАЩd like to see
something old, every now and then. After a moment he looked across at me and
pointed downward at the road.
тАЬThis is where the river used to be,тАЭ he said.
I wondered how he could tell.
The sectors started to go to seed after about 40 minutes. ThereтАЩs no reason
for it, as far as I can tell, but it happens everywhere, and it seems it always will until
we need every single square inch all the time. One day a sector will be buzzing and
full of life, then suddenly it will be a place where no one lives deliberately. Within a
few years it will be empty, but there are too many people for anywhere to remain like
that for long. So in a couple of years it will be redeveloped, made new again, and
people will start to move in. The population shifts around the planet, year by year,
almost as if we have to move a little, every now and then, as if migration is a need
that never quite went away.
It was getting dark by then, and I was glad to have an escort. Caring about a
legend is the preserve of the comfortably off, the socially integrated. The kind of
people who live in the interzones arenтАЩt going to give a shit. A long time ago Chen
and I received a call and came to an area like this near what used to be New York in
AmerCity. We nearly didnтАЩt make it out again. The call was a fake, planted to draw
people in. We lost all our gear, Chen spent two weeks in a hospital and since then
we donтАЩt go in without ground support.
Then, fairly abruptly, the sector was empty. Even the rubbish drifting down
the street looked old and forgotten, though it could only have been a few years since
people moved out. Ng conferred on a communicator and got specific street
instructions, and then we turned a corner to find that we were there.
I could tell something was wrong before the car stopped moving. About ten
soldiers stood in formation in the middle of the deserted and crumbling crossroads.
Ng said something irritable under his breath, and suggested we stay in the car for a
moment. He climbed stiffly out and walked up to one of the soldiers. Like Ng, the
soldier was wearing a beret, presumably meaning they were of the same rank. Chen
looked across at me and raised his eyebrows. I shrugged and lit. a cigarette.
A few moments later Ng returned. Though immaculate with military
professionalism, he was clearly fuming.
тАЬThe corps will be accompanying you into the sector,тАЭ he said.
тАЬHold on,тАЭ Chen started immediately. тАЬThatтАЩs simply not possible.тАЭ
тАЬThey canтАЩt,тАЭ Miranda said. тАЬTheyтАЩll scare off anything within a mile radius.тАЭ
Ng looked at me.
тАЬThe corps,тАЭ he said again, тАЬwill be accompanying you. The sector is
dangerous, and you must have protection.тАЭ He clearly didnтАЩt believe this, and I
didnтАЩt either.
тАЬPolitical?тАЭ I asked. He inclined his head slightly.
тАЬNo way,тАЭ said Chen. тАЬFuck the politics. No fucking way. Jesus, if you think
we can take the risk of blowing . . .тАЭ
тАЬLieutenant Hye will oversee the operation. He assures me that his men are
trained for quietness.тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt care how damn quiet they are, thatтАЩs not the point,тАЭ Miranda shouted.
I held out a hand.
тАЬItтАЩs been hours already. WeтАЩre here. ThereтАЩs no point wasting time when we