"Scott Westerfeld - Uglies 02 - Pretties" - читать интересную книгу автора (Westerfeld Scott)

but the thought that at any moment the world could fall away with a sudden crack kept Tally drinking
plenty of champagne.
Zane, who was pretty much the leader of the Crims, got bored and tipped a whole bottle onto
the ice. He said that alcohol had a lower freezing point than water, so it might send someone tumbling
down into the fireworks. But he hadn't poured out enough to save Tally's head this morning.
The room made the special sound that meant another Crim was calling.
"Hey."
"Hey, Tally."
"Shay-la!" Tally struggled up onto one elbow. "I need help!тАЭ
"The party? I know."
"What's the deal with semiformal, anyway?"
Shay laughed. "Tally-wa, you are so missing. Didn't you get the ping?"
"What ping?"
"It went out hours ago."
Tally glanced at her interface ring, still on her bedside table. She never wore it at night, an old
habit from when she'd been an ugly, sneaking out all the time. It sat there softly pulsing, still muted for
sleeptime. "Oh. Just woke up."
"Well forget semi anything. They changed the bash to fancy dress. We have to come up with
costumes!"
Tally checked the time: just before five in the afternoon. "What, in three hours?"
"Yeah, I know. I'm all over the place with mine. It's so shaming. Can I come down?"
"Please."
"In five?"
"Sure. Bring breakfast. Bye."
Tally let her head fall back onto the pillow. The bed was spinning like a hoverboard now, the day
just starting and already wiping out.
She slipped on her interface ring and listened angrily as the ping played, saying that no one would
be admitted tonight without a really bubbly costume. Three hours to come up with something decent, and
everyone else had a huge head start.
Sometimes, it felt like being a real criminal had been much, much simpler.


Shay had breakfast in tow: lobster omelettes, toast, hash browns, corn fritters, grapes, chocolate
muffins, and BloodiesтАФmore food than a whole packet of calorie purgers could erase. The
overburdened tray shivered in the air, its lifters trembling like a littlie arriving at school, first day ever.
"Um, Shay? Are we going as blimps or something?" Shay giggled. "No, but you sounded bad. And you
have to be bubbly tonight. All the Crims are coming to vote you in."
"Great, bubbly" Tally sighed, relieving the tray of a Bloody Mary. She frowned at the first sip.
"Not salty enough."
"No problem," Shay said, scraping off the caviar decorating an omelette and stirring it in.
"Ew, fishy!"
"Caviar is good with anything." Shay took another spoonful and put it straight into her mouth,
closing her eyes to chew the little fish eggs. She twisted her ring to start some music.
Tally swallowed and drank more Bloody, which at least stopped the room from spinning. The
chocolate muffins were starting to smell good. Then she'd move on to the hash browns. Then the
omelette; she might even try the caviar. Breakfast was the meal when Tally most felt like she had to make
up for the time she'd lost out in the wild. A good breakfast binge made her feel in control, as if a storm of
city-made tastes could erase the months of stews and SpagBol.
The music was new and made her heart beat faster. "Thanks, Shay-la. You are totally
life-saving."