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

really bring her back. Sit her down next to me. Love to talk with that
lady.тАЭ
тАЬYou two would tear each otherтАЩs eyes out,тАЭ Cynthia said.
тАЬWhat? Why?тАЭ
тАЬNeither one of youтАЩd be willing to give up the spotlight to the other.тАЭ
Maggie cackled. тАЬAinтАЩt it the truth? Still, sheтАЩs one broad IтАЩd love to have
met. A real star, see? Not a god-dammed echo like me.тАЭ
Hawk broke in, said, тАЬYou, Wolf. Where does your pilgrimage take you
now? The group goes on tour the day after tomorrow; what are your
plans?тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt really have any,тАЭ Wolf said. He explained his situation. тАЬIтАЩll
probably stay in Baltimore until itтАЩs time to go up north. Maybe IтАЩll take a
side trip or two.тАЭ
тАЬWhy donтАЩt you join the group, then?тАЭ Hawk asked. тАЬWeтАЩre planning to
make the trip one long party. And weтАЩll slam into Boston in just less than a
month. The tour ends there.тАЭ
тАЬThat,тАЭ said Cynthia, тАЬis a real bright idea. All we need is another
nonproductive person on board the train.тАЭ
Maggie bristled. тАЬSo whatтАЩs wrong with that? Not like weтАЩre paying for
it, is it? WhatтАЩs wrong with it?тАЭ
тАЬNothingтАЩs wrong with it. ItтАЩs just a dumb idea.тАЭ
тАЬWell, I like it. How about it, Ace? You on the train or off?тАЭ
тАЬIтАФтАЭ He stopped. Well, why not? тАЬYes. I would be pleased to go along.тАЭ
тАЬGood.тАЭ She turned to Cynthia. тАЬYour problem, sweets, is that youтАЩre
just plain jealous.тАЭ
тАЬOh Christ, here we go again.тАЭ
тАЬWell, donтАЩt bother. It wonтАЩt do you any good. Hey, you see that piece of
talent at the far end of the bar?тАЭ
тАЬMaggie, that тАШpiece of talent,тАЩ as you call him, is eighteen years old. At
most.тАЭ
тАЬYeah. Nice though.тАЭ Maggie stared wistfully down the bar. тАЬHeтАЩs kinda
pretty, ya know?тАЭ



Wolf spent the next day clearing up his affairs and arranging for letters
of credit. The morning of departure day, he rose early and made his way to
Baltimore Station. A brief exchange with the guards let him into the
walled trainyard.
The train was an ungainly steam locomotive with a string of
rehabilitated cars behind it. The last car had the word PEARL painted on
it, in antique psychedelic lettering.
тАЬHey, Wolf! Come lookit this mother.тАЭ A lone figure waved at him from
the far end of the train. Maggie. Wolf joined her. тАЬWhat do you think of it,
hah?тАЭ He searched for something polite to say. тАЬIt is very impressive,тАЭ he
said finally. The word that leapt to mind was grotesque.
 тАЬYeah, Runs on garbage, you know that? Just like me.тАЭ
тАЬGarbage?тАЭ
тАЬYeah, thereтАЩs a methane processing plant nearby. Hey, lookit me! Up
and awake at eight in the morning. Can ya take it? Had to get behind a