"Jeff Vandermeer- Veniss Underground" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vandermeer Jeff)

my balance as anything.

тАЬFor a friend,тАЭ I said. тАЬFor Nicola. I need a break or I'm going to have to go below level and live out my
days in a garbage zone.тАЭ (And look where I am today? In a garbage zone. Talking to you.)

Bringing up my sister was lowтАФespecially because I owed her so much moneyтАФbut bringing up below
level was lower still. Shadrach still had nightmares about living underground with the mutties and the funny
people, and the drip-drip-drip of water constantly invading the system.

He stared at me, the knuckles of his hands losing color where they clutched the rail. Did he, I hoped, see
enough of my sister in me?

But I'm not heartlessтАФwhen I saw him like that, the hurt showing as surely as if they'd broken up a day
ago, I recanted. I said, тАЬForget it, my friend. Forget it. I'll work something else out. You know me. It's
okey-dokey.тАЭ

Shadrach held me a moment longer with his gray, unyielding eyes, then he sighed and exhaled so that his
shoulders sagged and his head bowed. He examined his stick-on sandals with the seriousness of a
podiatect.

тАЬYou want Quin,тАЭ he said, тАЬyou first have to promise me this is a secretтАФfor life, God help you. If it gets
out Quin's seeing someone like you, there'll be a whole bunch of loonies digging up the city to find him.тАЭ

Someone like you hurt, but I just said, тАЬWho am I going to tell? Me, who's always borrowing for the
next holo? People avoid me. I am alone in the world. Quin could get me close to people.тАЭ

тАЬI know,тАЭ he said, a bit sadly, I thought.

тАЬSo tell me,тАЭ I said. тАЬWhere is it?тАЭ

тАЬYou have to tell Quin I sent you,тАЭ he said, and pointed a finger at me, тАЬand all you want is to buy a
meerkat.тАЭ

тАЬYou that budsky-budsky with Quin?тАЭ I said, incredulousтАФand a little loud, so a brace of Canal
policemen gave me a look like I was luny-o.

тАЬKeep your voice down,тАЭ Shadrach said. Then: тАЬGo west down the canalside escalators until you see the
Mercado streetlight. There's an alley just before that. Go down the alley. At the end, it looks like a dead
ender because there are recycling bins and other debris from the last ten centuries. But don't be fooled.
Just close your eyesтАФit's a holo, and when you're through, there's Quin's, right in front of you. Just walk
right in.тАЭ

тАЬThank U, Shadrach,тАЭ I said, heart beating triple-time fast. тАЬI'll tell Nicola that you gave her the time of
day.тАЭ
His eyes widened and brightened, and a smile crossed his face, fading quickly. But I knew, and he knew
I knew.

тАЬBe careful,тАЭ he said, his voice so odd that shivers spiraled up my back. He shook my hand. тАЬQuin's a
little . . . strange,тАЭ he said. тАЬWhen it's over, come and see me. And remember, NicholasтАФdon'tтАФdon't
dicker with him over the price to be paid.тАЭ