"Vernor Vinge - Fast Times at Fairmont High" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vinge Vernor)

exam.тАЭ His face took on a sly look. тАЬYou know what I got on
Wilson's math exam.тАЭ
тАЬY-yeah, an A. That's great. You got all ten questions.тАЭ
Ten questions, most of them harder than the old Putnam
exam problems had ever been. And in Ms. Wilson's exam, you
weren't allowed to collaborate, or search beyond the
classroom. Juan had gotten a C+, knocking down four of the
questions. The little blue pills didn't help much with pure
math, but it was kind of neat how all Ms. Wilson's talk about
heuristics and symbol software finally paid off. Those
problems would have stumped some of the smartest
twentieth-century students, but with the right kind of practice
and good software even an ordinary kid like Juan Orozco had
a good chance of solving them. Two Fairmont students had
cracked all ten problems.
Bertie's grin broadened, a morph that stretched his face
into a cartoonish leer. Juan knew that Bertie Todd was a dud
at abstract problem solving. It was in getting the right
answers out of other people that he was a star. тАЬ... Oh. You
slipped out of isolation.тАЭ That wouldn't be hard to do,
considering that Bertie was already coming in from outside.



13
 Fast Times at Fairmont High
by Vernor Vinge


тАЬI would never say that, Juan my boy. But if I did, and I
didn't get caught ... wouldn't that just prove that all this
тАШisolated skillsтАЩ stuff is academic crap?тАЭ
тАЬI-I guess,тАЭ said Juan. In some ways, Bertie had unusual
notions about right and wrong. тАЬBut it would be more fun if
you could just come out here to San Diego.тАЭ
Bertie's smile faded a fraction; the Great Freeze Out could
be reinstated in an instant.
Juan shrugged, and tried to pretend that his invitation had
never been made. тАЬOkay, but can I still be on your unlimited
team?тАЭ
тАЬAh, let's see how things work out. We've got at least
twelve hours before the unlimited team selections have to be
final, right? I think it's more important that ... you get
yourself a good start on the local team exercise.тАЭ
Juan should have seen it coming. Bertie was Mister Quid
Pro Quo, only sometimes it took a while to figure out what he
was demanding. тАЬSo who you do you think I should be
matching up with?тАЭ Hopefully, someone dumb enough that
they wouldn't guess Juan's special edge. тАЬThe Rackhams are
good, and we have complementary skills.тАЭ