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

She bounded up the stairs, leaving the voices behind. Maybe theyтАЩd forget about her if she just kept
moving. There were only two more floors of Garbo Mansion to go, and then the roof. Peris had to be
here somewhere.

Unless he was out on the back lawn, or up in a balloon, or a party tower. Or in a pleasure garden
somewhere, with someone. Tally shook away that last image and ran down the hall, ignoring the same
jokes about her mask, risking glances into the rooms one by one.

Nothing but surprised looks and pointed fingers, and pretty faces. But none of them rang a bell. Peris
wasnтАЩt anywhere.

тАЬHere, piggy, piggy! Hey, there she is!тАЭ

Tally bolted up to the top floor, taking two stairs at a time. Her hard breathing had heated up the inside
of the mask, her forehead sweating, the adhesive crawling as it tried to stay attached. They were
following her now, a group of them, laughing and stumbling over one another up the stairs.

There wasnтАЩt any time to search this floor. Tally glanced up and down the hall. No one up here, anyway.
The doors were all closed. Maybe a few pretties were actually getting their beauty sleep.

If she went up to the roof to check for Peris, sheтАЩd be trapped.

тАЬHere, piggy, piggy!тАЭ

Time to run. Tally dashed toward the elevator, skidding to a halt inside. тАЬGround floor!тАЭ she ordered.

She waited, peering down the hall anxiously, panting into the hot plastic of her mask. тАЬGround floor!тАЭ
she repeated. тАЬClose door!тАЭ

Nothing happened.

She sighed, closing her eyes. Without an interface ring, she was nobody. The elevator wouldnтАЩt listen.

Tally knew how to trick an elevator, but it took time and a penknife. She had neither. The first of her
pursuers emerged from the stairway, stumbling into the hall.
She threw herself backward against the elevatorтАЩs side wall, standing on tiptoe and trying to flatten
herself so they couldnтАЩt see her. More came up, huffing and puffing like typical out-of-shape pretties.
Tally could watch them in the mirror at the back of the elevator.

Which meant they could also seeher if they thought to look this way.

тАЬWhereтАЩd the piggy go?тАЭ

тАЬHere, piggy!тАЭ

тАЬThe roof, maybe?тАЭ

Someone stepped quietly into the elevator, looking back at the search party in bemusement. When he
saw her, he jumped. тАЬGoodness, you scared me!тАЭ He blinked his long lashes, regarding her masked face,
then looked down at his own tailcoat. тАЬOh, dear. WasnтАЩt this party white tie?тАЭ