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

queasiness, a sense of imbalance just at the edge of perception, as if all of Venus
were with infinitesimal gentleness shifting underfoot.

Then the planet roared and the floor came up to smash her in the face.

****

When Patang came to, everything was a jumble. The floor was canted. The
shelves had collapsed, dumping silk shirts, lemon cookies, and bars of beauty soap
everywhere. Their muscle suits had tumbled together, the metal arm of one caught
between the legs of the other. The life support systems were still operational, thank
God. The Company built them strong.

In the middle of it all, MacArthur stood motionless, grinning. A trickle of
blood ran down his neck. He slowly rubbed the side of his face.

тАЬMacArthur? Are you okay?тАЭ

A strange look was in his eyes. тАЬBy God,тАЭ he said softly. тАЬBy damn.тАЭ

тАЬInnkeeper! What happened here?тАЭ

The device didnтАЩt respond. тАЬI busted it up,тАЭ MacArthur said. тАЬIt was easy.тАЭ

тАЬWhat?тАЭ

MacArthur walked clumsily across the floor toward her, like a sailor on an
uncertain deck. тАЬThere was a cliff slump.тАЭ He had a Ph.D. in extraterrestrial geology.
He knew things like that. тАЬA vein of soft basalt weakened and gave way. The inn
caught a glancing blow. WeтАЩre lucky to be alive.тАЭ

He knelt beside her and made the OK sign with thumb and forefinger. Then he
flicked the side of her nose with the forefinger.
 тАЬOuch!тАЭ she said. Then, shocked, тАЬHey, you canтАЩt ... !тАЭ

тАЬLike hell I canтАЩt.тАЭ He slapped her in the face. Hard. тАЬChip donтАЩt seem to
work anymore.тАЭ

Rage filled her. тАЬYou son of a bitch!тАЭ Patang drew back her arm to slug him.

Blankness.

****

She came to seconds later. But it was like opening a book in the middle or
stepping into an interactive an hour after it began. She had no idea what had
happened or how it affected her.

MacArthur was strapping her into her muscle suit.