"Michael Swanwick - Tin Marsh" - читать интересную книгу автора (Swanwick Michael)

Patang remembered how magical the tesserae landscape had seemed in the
beginning. тАЬComplex ridged terrainтАЭ MacArthur called it, high ridges and deep
groves crisscrossing each other in such profusion that the land appeared blocky
from orbit, like a jumble of tiles. Crossing such terrain, you had to be constantly
alert. Cliffs rose up unexpectedly, butte-high. You turned a twist in a zigzagging
valley and the walls fell away and down, down, down. There was nothing remotely
like it on Earth. The first time through, sheтАЩd shivered in wonder and awe.

Now she thought: Maybe I can use this. These canyons ran in and out of each
other. Duck down one and run like hell. Find another and duck down it. Keep on
repeating until heтАЩd lost her.

тАЬYou honestly think you can lose me, Patang?тАЭ

She shrieked involuntarily.

тАЬI can read your mind, Patang. I know you through and through.тАЭ

It was true, and it was wrong. People werenтАЩt meant to know each other like
this. It was the forced togetherness, the fact you were never for a moment alone with
your own thoughts. After a while youтАЩd heard every story your partner had to tell
and shared every confidence there was to share. After a while every little thing got on
your nerves.

тАЬHow about if I admit I was wrong?тАЭ she said pleadingly. тАЬI was wrong. I
admit it.тАЭ

тАЬWe were both wrong. So what?тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩm willing to cooperate, MacArthur. Look. IтАЩve stopped so you can catch
up and not have to worry about me getting away from you. DoesnтАЩt that convince
you weтАЩre on the same side?тАЭ

LASER HAZARD

тАЬOh, feel free to run as fast and as far as you want, Patang. IтАЩm confident IтАЩll
catch up with you in the end.тАЭ

All right, then, she thought desperately. If thatтАЩs the way you want it, asshole.
Tag! YouтАЩre it.

She ducked into the shadows of a canyon and ran.

****

The canyon twisted and, briefly, she was out of sight. MacArthur couldnтАЩt
talk to her, couldnтАЩt hear her. CouldnтАЩt tell which way she went. The silence felt
wonderful. It was the first privacy sheтАЩd had since she didnтАЩt know when. She only
wished she could spare the attention to enjoy it more. But she had to think, and think
hard. One canyon wall had slumped downward just ahead, creating a slope her