"Neal Stephenson - The Diamond Age" - читать интересную книгу автора (Sterling Bruce)

with it, IтАЩll load it for real.тАЭ He stapled the skin of BudтАЩs forehead
back together so itтАЩd heal invisibly. You could pay the guy extra to
leave a scar there on purpose, so everyone would know you were
packing, but Bud had heard that some chicks didnтАЩt like it. BudтАЩs
relationship with the female sex was governed by a gallimaufry of
primal impulses, dim suppositions, deranged theories, overheard
scraps of conversation, half-remembered pieces of bad advice, and
fragments of no-doubt exaggerated anecdotes that amounted to rank
superstition. In this case, it dictated that he should not request the
scar.
Besides, he had a nice collection of SightsтАФnot very tasteful
sunglasses with crosshairs hudded into the lens on your dominant
eye. They did wonders for marksmanship, and they were real
obvious too, so that everyone knew you didnтАЩt fuck with a man
wearing Sights.
тАЬGive it a whirl,тАЭ the guy said, and spun the chair aroundтАФit
was a big old antique barber chair upholstered in swirly plasticтАФso
Bud was facing a mannikin in the corner of the room. The mannikin
had no face or hair and was speckled with little burn marks, as was
the wall behind it.
тАЬStatus,тАЭ Bud said, and felt the gun buzz lightly in response.
тАЬStand by,тАЭ he said, and got another answering buzz. He turned
his face squarely toward the mannikin.
тАЬHut,тАЭ he said. He said it under his breath, through unmoving
lips, but the gun heard it; he felt a slight recoil tapping his head
back, and a startling POP sounded from the mannikin, accompanied
by a flash of light on the wall up above its head. BudтАЩs headache
deepened, but he didnтАЩt care.
4 тАЬThis thing runs faster ammo, so youтАЩll have to get used to
aiming a tad lower,тАЭ said the guy. So Bud tried it again and this time
popped the mannikin right in the neck.
тАЬGreat shot! That would have decapped him if you were using
Hellfire,тАЭ the guy said. тАЬLooks to me like you know what youтАЩre
doingтАФbut thereтАЩs other options too. And three magazines so you
can run multiple ammos.тАЭ
тАЬI know,тАЭ Bud said, тАЬI been checking this thing out.тАЭ Then, to
the gun, тАЬDisperse ten, medium pattern.тАЭ Then he said тАЬhutтАЭ again.
His head snapped back much harder, and ten POPs went off at once,
all over the mannikinтАЩs body and the wall behind it. The room was
getting smoky now, starting to smell like burned plastic.
тАЬYou can disperse up to a hundred,тАЭ the guy said, тАЬbut the
recoilтАЩd probably break your neck.тАЭ
тАЬI think I got it down,тАЭ Bud said, тАЬso load me up. First
magazine with electrostun rounds. Second magazine with Cripplers.
Third with Hellfires. And get me some fucking aspirin.тАЭ


Source Victoria; description of its environs.