"Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman - StarShield Book 1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weis Margaret)

A rather depressed-looking, plump man slumped over the entrance podium. He held his de-
jected head propped up between both his hands, his garishly ridiculous yellow and black diamond
checked costume in complete discord with his drooping cheeks. Their approach motivated him to
action, sluggish as it was. His countenance seemed to sadden the closer they got to him тАФ if such a
thing were possible.
тАЬMy sorrows in baring informational discord,тАЭ the man said, his seven pointed hat jingling as
he shook his head. тАЬI beg your pardon in telling you that the Coliseum is closed this night.тАЭ
MerindaтАЩs disappointment was acute. She had been to Yarka on several occasions but never
with Queekat. Their schedules had just never permitted it. Now her she was within reach of another
dream and it was being yanked out from under her. Everything had been wrong about this trip. The
dream was becoming a nightmare reality of errors and disappointments. Everything was unraveling.
тАЬWhat do you mean! Why are you closed?тАЭ QueekatтАЩs voice was demanding, attaining that
terrible edge to it that Merinda remembered all too clearly from earlier in the day.
тАЬI sorrow in the telling that our telepresence system seemed to be malfunctioning this evening.тАЭ
The plump little man leaned forward conspiratorially. тАЬIndeed, sire, it seems that systems all over the
city are failing with increasing regularity through the week. The entire telecom system was down for
several radians yesterday. ItтАЩs said that no cause was found and that the problem is still being worked
on. IтАЩve called the repair center but there was no answer. I was able to leave a message, however тАФ
perhaps if you could find a convenience in returning tomorrow evening we could accommodate you
more sufficiently . . .тАЭ
тАЬYour message was received,тАЭ Queekat said suddenly. тАЬI am here to repair the projectors.тАЭ
тАЬYou are?тАЭ said Merinda and the gateman simultaneously.
Queekat didnтАЩt skip a beat. He was the very visage of confidence. тАЬOf course, I am. Are you
using Nychak Mirage 7000тАЩs?тАЭ
тАЬI тАФ I donтАЩt know!тАЭ the gateman replied.
тАЬIt doesnтАЩt matter,тАЭ Queekat said, waving the man aside. тАЬMy assistant and I will require an
hour or so to reprogram and test the projectors. I suspect we can have you up and haunted soon after
that.тАЭ
Bright cheer returned to the eyes of the gateman, a state which Merinda recognized as more
natural for the man. тАЬExcellent, good sire! My gratitude for the immediacy of your response!тАЭ
тАЬCan you tell me where the synth mind is commanding your haunting?тАЭ Queekat asked matter-
of-factly as he took Merinda├нs hand and lead her through the gate.
тАЬFive columns around the right then down the wide stairs into the old dungeons,тАЭ the gateman
waved, his gloom at lost profits and position vanishing like the phantoms he usually induced through
the equipment. тАЬThe way is well lit. Pay no heed to the тАШForbidden AccessтАЩ sign, pass through the portal
and then . . .тАЭ
But by then Queekat had already dashed with Merinda in tow onto the steeply slanting stairs
downward and were well beyond hearing.
*****
Merinda stepped out of the corridor and under the stars. The vast bowl of the ancient coliseum
was arrayed about her, its mammoth size accentuated by the fact that she stood in the center of itтАЩs
hundred-meter-wide stage.
There were literally hundreds of telepresence projectors located throughout the coliseum. Most
were set displays which replayed the history and mythology of Yarka with full sensory interaction
between the phantom characters тАШhauntingтАЩ the rooms and the audience intruding on their space. Some

┬й Copyright 1997 by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman / All Rights Reserved. Page 29
projectors were for private use and could be contracted for a variety of purposes. The main arena,
however, was for the large scale productions which were designed to play to thousands at a time. It was
in the center of the main arena that Merinda stood, gazing up at the dimly lit seats arrayed in circles