"Michael Swanwick - The Feast of Saint Janis" - читать интересную книгу автора (Swanwick Michael)

conspicuous as he always did in the Club. His skin stood out here. Even
the American servants were dark, though whether this was a gesture of
deference or arrogance on the part of the local authorities, he could not
guess.
тАЬWord is that you spent the day closeted with the comptroller.тАЭ Nnamdi
had a gin-and-tonic set up. Wolf loathed the drink, but it was universal
among the service people. тАЬShare the dirt with us.тАЭ Other faces gathered
around; the service ran on gossip.
Wolf gave an abridged version of the encounter and Nnamdi applauded.
тАЬA full day with the Spider King and you escaped with your balls intact An
auspicious beginning for you, lad.тАЭ
тАЬSpider King?тАЭ
тАЬSurely you were briefed on regional autonomyтАФhow the country was
broken up when it could no longer be managed by a central directorate?
There is no higher authority than DiStephauo in this part of the world,
boy.тАЭ
тАЬBoston,тАЭ Ajuji sniffed. Like most of the expatriates, she was a failure;
unlike many, she couldnтАЩt hide the fact from herself. тАЬThatтАЩs exactly the
sort of treatment one comes to expect from these savages.тАЭ
тАЬNow, Ajuji,тАЭ Nnamdi said mildly. тАЬThese people are hardly savages.
Why, before the Collapse they put men on the moon.тАЭ
тАЬTechnology! Hard-core technology, thatтАЩs all it was, of a piece with the
kind that almost destroyed us all. If you want a measure of a people, you
look at how they live. TheseтАФyanks,тАЭ she hissed the word to emphasize its
filthiness, тАЬlive in squalor. Their streets are filthy, their cities are filthy,
and even the ones who arenтАЩt rotten with genetic disease are filthy. A child
can be taught to clean up after itself. What does that make them?тАЭ
тАЬHuman beings, Ajuji.тАЭ тАЬHogwash. Nnamdi.тАЭ
Wolf followed the argument with acute embarrassment. He had been
brought up to expect well from people with social standing. To hear gutter
language and low prejudice from them was almost beyond bearing.
Suddenly it was beyond bearing. He stood, his stool making a scraping
noise as he pushed it back. He turned his back on them all, and left.
тАЬMbikana! You mustnтАЩtтАФтАЭ Nnamdi called after him.
тАЬOh, let him go,тАЭ Ajuji cut in, with a satisfied tone, тАЬyou mustnтАЩt expect
better. After all, heтАЩs practically one of them.тАЭ
 Well, maybe he was.



Wolf wasnтАЩt fully aware of where he was going until he found himself at
PeabodyтАЩs. He circled the building, and found a rear door. He tried the
knob; it turned loosely in his hand. Then the door swung open and a
heavy, bearded man in coveralls leaned out тАЬYes?тАЭ he said in an unfriendly
tone.
тАЬOh,тАЭ Wolf said. тАЬMaggie Horowitz told me I could drop by.тАЭ
тАЬLook, pilgrim, there are a lot of people try to get backstage. My job is
to keep them out unless I know them. I donтАЩt know you.тАЭ
Wolf tried to think of some response to this, and failed. He was about to
turn away when somebody unseen said, тАЬOh, let him in, Deke.тАЭ