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

It was Cynthia. тАЬCome on,тАЭ she said in a bored voice. тАЬDonтАЩt clog up the
doorway.тАЭ The guard moved aside, and he entered.
тАЬThank you,тАЭ he said.
тАЬNada,тАЭ she replied. тАЬAs Maggie would say. The dressing room is that
way, pilgrim.тАЭ
тАЬWolf, honey!тАЭ Maggie shrieked. тАЬHowтАЩs it going, Ace? Ya catch the
show?тАЭ
тАЬNo, IтАФтАЭ
тАЬYou shoulda. I was good. Really good. Janis herself was never better.
Hey, gang! LetтАЩs split, hah? LetтАЩs go somewhere and get down and boogie.тАЭ
A group of twenty ended up taking over a methane-lit bar outside the
zoned-for-electricity sector. Three of the band had brought along their
instruments, and they talked the owner into letting them play. The music
was droning and monotonous. Maggie listened appreciatively, grinning
and moving her head to the music.
тАЬWhatcha think of that. Ace? Pretty good, hey? ThatтАЩs what we call
Dead music.тАЭ
Wolf shook his head. тАЬI think itтАЩs well named.тАЭ
тАЬHey, guys, you hear that? Wolf here just made a funny. ThereтАЩs hope
for you yet, honey.тАЭ Then she sighed. тАЬCanтАЩt get behind it, huh? ThatтАЩs
really sad, man. I mean they played good music back then; it was real.
WeтАЩre just echoes, man. Just playing away at them old songs. Got none of
our own worth singing.тАЭ
 тАЬIs that why youтАЩre doing the show, then?тАЭ Wolf asked, curious.
Maggie laughed. тАЬHell no. I do it because I got the chance. DiStephano
got in touch with meтАФтАЭ
тАЬDiStephano? The comptroller?тАЭ
тАЬOne of his guys, anyway. They had this gig all set up and they needed
someone to play Janis. So they ran a computer search and came up with
my name. And they offered me money, and I spent a month or two in
Hopkins being worked over, and here I am. On the road to fame and
glory.тАЭ Her voice rose and warbled and mocked itself on the last phrase.
тАЬWhy dтАЩd you have to go to Hopkins?тАЭ
тАЬYou donтАЩt think I was born looking like this? They had to change my
face around. Changed my voice too, for which God bless. They brought it
down lower, widened out my range, gave it the strength to hold onto them
high notes and push тАШem around.тАЭ
тАЬNot to mention the mental implants,тАЭ Cynthia said.
тАЬOh, yeah, and the тАШplants so I could talk in a bluesy sorta way without
falling out of character,тАЭ Maggie said. тАЬBut that was minor.тАЭ
Wolf was impressed. He had known that Hopkins was good, but thisтАФ
тАЬWhat I donтАЩt understand is why your government did all this. What
possible benefit is there for them?тАЭ
тАЬBeats the living hell out of me, lover-boy. DonтАЩt know, donтАЩt care, and
donтАЩt ask. ThatтАЩs my motto.тАЭ
A long haired, pale young man sitting nearby said, тАЬThe government is
all hacked up on social engineering. They do a lot of weird things, and you
never find out why. You learn not to ask questions.тАЭ
тАЬHey, listen, Hawk, bringing Janis back to life isnтАЩt weird. ItтАЩs a
beautiful thing to do,тАЭ Maggie objected. тАЬYeah. I only wish they could