"Vernor Vinge - The Cookie Monster" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vinge Vernor)

"No way," said Dixie Mae. "I came here for a reason. SomeoneтАУprobably someone here in Building
0999тАУis messing with our work in Customer Support. IтАЩm going to find out who." And give them some
free dental work.

"Look. If we donтАЩt finish grading the exam today, Gerry ReichтАЩs going to make us come back
tomorrow andтАУ"

"I donтАЩt think thatтАЩs true, Graham," said a guy sitting across the table. "Prof. ReichтАЩs whole
point was that we should not feel time pressure. This is an experiment, comparing time-bounded
grading with complete individualization."

"Yes!" said Graham the redhead. "ThatтАЩs exactly why Reich would lie about it. тАШTake it easy, make
good money,тАЩ he says. But IтАЩll bet that if we donтАЩt finish today, heтАЩll screw us into losing the
weekend."

He glared at Dixie Mae. She glared back. Graham was going to find out just what stubborn and
willful really meant. There was a moment of silence and thenтАУ

"IтАЩll talk to them, Graham." It was the woman at the far end of the tables.

"Argh. Okay, but not here!"

"Sure, weтАЩll go out on the porch." She beckoned Dixie Mae and Victor to follow her out the side
door.

"And hey," called Graham as they walked out, "donтАЩt take all day, Ellen. We need you here."

The porch on 0999 had a bigger junk-food machine than back at Customer Support. Dixie Mae didnтАЩt
think that made up for no cafeteria, but Ellen Garcia didnтАЩt seem to mind. "WeтАЩre only going to be
here this one day. IтАЩm not coming back on Saturday."

Dixie Mae bought herself a sandwich and soda and they all sat down on some beat-up lawn furniture.

"So what do you want to know?" said Ellen.

"See, Mouse, weтАЩre following up on the weirdestтАУ"

Ellen waved Victor silent, her expression pretty much the same as all VictorтАЩs female
acquaintances. She looked expectantly at Dixie Mae.

"Well, my name is Dixie Mae Leigh. This morning we got this email at our customer support address.
It looks like a fake. And there are things about it thatтАУ" she handed over the hard copy.

EllenтАЩs gaze scanned down. "Kind of fishy dates," she said to herself. Then she stopped, seeing
the "To:" header. She glanced up at Dixie Mae. "Yeah, this is abuse. I used to see this kind of
thing when I was a Teaching Assistant. Some guy would start hitting on a girl in my class." She
eyed Victor speculatively.