"Joan D. Vinge - Fireship" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vinge Joan D)

again?тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩre a hustler, Michael Yarrow. You can calculate the odds
with lightning speed when you gamble. The house doesnтАЩt stand a
chance. And thatтАЩs not all you can do: Your intelligence is artificially
augmented by an ETHANAC 500 computer.тАЭ
I shook my head. тАЬLady Luck, if I told you that last night, I
apologize. It was only to augment my own ego. My real name is
Ethan Ring, and I do software maintenance for the colonial
government of the Arab States, here on Mars. And when I get
drunk, not only am I a hustler, but IтАЩm also a pathological liar.тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩre even better when youтАЩre sober.тАЭ She reached out and took
my hand, and turned it over as if she were reading my palm. тАЬNice
try. But fingerprints donтАЩt lie; and yours belong to Michael Yarrow,
U.S. citizen, who is wanted back on Earth for theft, sabotage, and
high treason. The price on your head is five hundred thousand
dollars.тАЭ She looked up at me again, with deadly calm.
I knew now how Prince Charming must have felt when
Cinderella turned into a scrubwoman. тАЬAll right.тАЭ My hand turned
into a fist, and I removed it from her grasp. тАЬI have three hundred
thousand dollarsтАЩ worth of chips up in my room. If you really know
what I can do, you know I can get you twice the amount of that
reward, and in half the time it would take the U.S. government to
get it to you. Would a million dollars be sufficient to keep your
mouth shut?тАЭ
Surprise again, feigned or real. тАЬSo you would be willing to
embezzle seven hundred thousand dollars?тАЭ
I frowned. тАЬ тАШWillingтАЩ is hardly the word. But yes, IтАЩd do just about
anything to avoid having my health ruined by the Department of
Health, Education, and Welfare.тАЭ
тАЬI see. That does make it easierтАФтАЭ She glanced out the window at
the sky, which was getting darker every minute, like my mood.
тАЬUnfortunately, IтАЩm not really interested in money.тАЭ
тАЬBut youтАЩre not a misguided patriot, either. So just what is it
youтАЩre after?тАЭ
тАЬTell meтАФтАЭ she said, in total non sequitur, тАЬwhy did you say that
to me, when you first came in?тАЭ
I shrugged. тАЬI never like to start out a relationship on the
defensive. Tell me something: did you put me up to the gambling
last night?тАЭ
She shook her head; I tried not to watch the way it made her hair
ripple and play with the light. тАЬNo. YouтАЩd already won twenty
thousand seeyas when I first noticed you. ThatтАЩs what made me
curious. What IтАЩm after, YarrowтАФтАЭ
тАЬCall me Ethan.тАЭ
тАЬтАФis your brain.тАЭ
тАЬIs that all. Shall I wrap it up, or will you dissect it here?тАЭ
She looked pained. тАЬIтАЩll ignore that. My name is Hanalore
Takhashi.тАЭ She pushed a small white business card toward me
across, the transparent tabletop.
I picked it up obediently, and read: