"Charles Stross - Trunk and Disorderly" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stross Charles)

cocktail glass from underflowing. Candied fruits and jellied Europan
cryoplankton of a most delightful consistency were of course provided.
тАЬWhat-ho, this is the life, isnтАЩt it?тАЭ I observed in the general direction of
Toadsworth. My bot buddy was parked adjacent to my bower, his knobbly
mobility unit sucking luxuriously conditioned juice from a discreet outlet
while the still squishy bits of his internal anatomy slurped a remarkably
subtle smoked Korean soy ale from a Klein stein by way of a curly straw.

тАЬBeep beep,тАЭ he responded. Then, expansively and slowly, тАЬyou
seem a little melancholy about something, old chap. In fact, if you had
hyperspectral imagers like me, you might notice you were a little drawn.
Like this: pip.тАЭ He said it so emphatically that even my buggy-but-priceless
family heirloom amanuensis recognized it for an infoburst and misfiled it
somewhere. тАЬIndiscretions aside, if thereтАЩs anything a cove can do to help
youтАФenemies you want inebriated, planets you want conqueredтАФfeel free
to ask the Toadster, what?тАЭ

тАЬYouтАЩre a jolly fine fellow and I may just do that,тАЭ I said. тАЬBut IтАЩm afraid
itтАЩs probably nothing you can help with. IтАЩm in a bit of a blue funkтАФdid you
know Laura left me? SheтАЩs done it before several times, of course, but she
always comes back after the drop. Not this time, though, I havenтАЩt seen
gear nor sprocket of her since the day before yesterday and IтАЩm getting a
bit worried.тАЭ

тАЬI shall make inquiries right away, old chap. The clankie grapevine
knows everything. If I may make so bold, she probably just felt the need to
get away for a while and lube her flaps: sheтАЩll be back soon enough.тАЭ
Toadsworth swiveled his ocular turret, monospectral emitters flashing
brightly. тАЬBottoms up!тАЭ

I made no comment on the evident fact that if the Toadster ever did
get himself arse over gripper heтАЩd be in big trouble righting himself, but
merely raised my glass in salute. Then I frowned. It was empty! тАЬBoy?
WhereтАЩs my drink?тАЭ I glanced round. A furry brown sausage with two
prominently flared nostrils was questing about the edge of the bower where
my cocktail boy had been sitting a moment before.

тАЬGrab him!тАЭ I swore at the lad, but I fear it wasnтАЩt his fault: Jeremy had
already done him a mischief, and he was doubled over in a ball under the
nearest curtain, meeping pathetically. Jeremy sucked the remains of my
Saturnian ring ice-water margaritas up his nose with a ghastly slurping
noise, and winked at me: then he sneezed explosively. An acrid eruction
slapped my face. тАЬVile creature!тАЭ I raged, тАЬWhat do you think youтАЩre
doing?тАЭ

IтАЩm told that I am usually quite good with small children and other
animals, but I have a blind spot when it comes to Jeremy. He narrowed his
eyes, splayed his ears wide, and emitted a triumphantтАФnot to say
alcohol-saturatedтАФtrumpet-blast at me. Got you, he seemed to be saying.
Why should you two-legs have all the fun? I made a grab for his ears but