"Michael Swanwick - Vacumn Flowers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Swanwick Michael)

you leave and run like hell, you ought to escape.тАЭ The map
vanished. тАЬGo wherever you wish. We will know if you
escape. And when youтАЩre ready to do business, one of us
will contact you.тАЭ
Snow herself had not spoken. She stood slim and
solitary as a madonna. Aloud, she said, тАЬThe door is
behind you.тАЭ
Rebel turned and fled.
Outside, she ran blindly down the hot and heavy
corridors of downtown. She fled randomly, through
crowded galleries and empty alleyways, until she was
gasping for breath and covered with sweat and her fear
rose up and swallowed her.



2
KING JONAMONтАЩS COURT
An indefinite time later, Rebel found a cluster of data ports
in the center of a tiled courtyard. She had no idea where
she was. Someplace midtown, to judge by the gravity.
Jungle birds flitted between crowded boutiques. A sheet
waterfall splashed into a shallow pool. By its edge, a
vender sold copper coins to throw into the water.
Without her telling it to, RebelтАЩs body drifted to a data
port. Her head felt buzzy and light, as if it belonged to
somebody else. From a vast distance she watched her
fingers touch the screen twice, programming it for
realtime communication. They tapped in an access code,
and she wondered who it was for.
A male face appeared in the port. It floated in blackness,
with no visual backdrop. Under a painted constellation of
five-pointed gold stars, the eyebrows rose in surprise. тАЬItтАЩs
been a long time.тАЭ
Rebel listened with detached fascination as a shrill,
rapid voice from her own mouth said, тАЬI have to hide. I
have to crawl under my face and pull it in after me. I have
to get away.тАЭ Her face began to cry. тАЬI donтАЩt have any
money and I canтАЩt trust anyone and I need your help.тАЭ
The strangerтАЩs face shifted, startled and alarmed. тАЬMy
God, what have you done to yourself, EucraтАФ?тАЭ
тАЬDonтАЩt use my name!тАЭ
Blank astonishment. Then, another instant shift of
expression and the man grinned. тАЬGotcha, Sunshine.
Listen, my shift has just started, but maybe you should
join me anyway. IтАЩm a vacuum bum these days, scraping
flowers, nobodyтАЩs going to look for you rockside. You think
you can find your way to the Labor Exchange using public
transit?тАЭ
Rebel wasnтАЩt following the conversation at all. Her head