"Edward Willett - Andy Nebula" - читать интересную книгу автора (Willett Edward)

couch; looked like a slow night.
Fat Sloan deserved his nickname. A mountainous bubble of bloated flesh, he must have
moved off the stool behind the counter sometime, but IтАЯd never seen it and found it hard to
imagine. He smiled at me, yellowing teeth showing briefly between pendulous lips. тАЬYoung
Kit! What a surprise.тАЭ
тАЬYou know I berth here when itтАЯs hydrating, gladeye.тАЭ
тАЬBusy night. You want a room, youтАЯll have to share it.тАЭ
I held up my money. тАЬIтАЯve got feds for a single.тАЭ I didnтАЯt even have feds for a double, but
he didnтАЯt have to know that yet. Maybe I could get him to knock down the price.
тАЬMaybe, but I havenтАЯt got a single to give you.тАЭ
тАЬNo flashman roomie for me, Sloan!тАЭ
тАЬKit!тАЭ Sloan looked shocked, and put one hand in the general vicinity of his heart. тАЬWould
I do that to you? This--fellow--is a perfectly respectable freespacer. HeтАЯs just between ships at
the moment. And I know heтАЯll be happy to meet you.тАЭ
I didnтАЯt like the sound of that. тАЬNo street-trade, Sloan.тАЭ
тАЬWould I even suggest such a thing? This is a legitimate establishment.тАЭ
Sure it was. тАЬSo whatтАЯs his interest?тАЭ
тАЬHe likes music, Kit. He said he wants to meet a musician.тАЭ
Huh. I still didnтАЯt like it--but thunder rattled the door, and rain rattled against the
window--and IтАЯd always wanted to talk to a spacer, anyway. If I were ever going to escape this
interstellar slimepit, I needed a space-friend. But I couldnтАЯt let Sloan know any of that, or IтАЯd
never talk his price down. тАЬStill comes down to economics, Sloan. Fewer feds for a double.тАЭ
He shrugged. тАЬSo sleep in the street.тАЭ
тАЬCome on, Sloan, flexibilize for your old gladeye.тАЭ
He looked me over, then grunted. тАЬAll right. For you, ten percent off.тАЭ
тАЬForty.тАЭ
тАЬKit, synchronize with reality. ItтАЯs raining. IтАЯm a businessman--supply and demand. High
demand right now, low supply. Fifteen percent.тАЭ
тАЬThirty.тАЭ
He shook his head. тАЬNo deal.тАЭ
тАЬNominal with me. IтАЯll REM in the street--and spread the data youтАЯre defunct.тАЭ I turned
toward the door.
Sloan laughed, a remarkably unpleasant sound. тАЬAll right, Kit. Tell you what--twenty-five
percent off. Just for you.тАЭ
тАЬOrbital, gladeye.тАЭ I turned back to the counter and paid him, then tossed a couple of extra
feds his way. тАЬAnd add a mealpac to the program.тАЭ With the discount, I could actually afford
to eat.
тАЬSure.тАЭ Sloan passed a keychip and the mealpac across the stained countertop. тАЬRoom 206.
Knock first. I told your roommate heтАЯd probably be having company, but you donтАЯt want to
Edward Willett Andy Nebula: Interstellar Rock Star 3


surprise a freespacer. He might cut you in two and regret it later.тАЭ He shrugged. тАЬOr he might
not even regret it.тАЭ
тАЬWorthless data, gladeye.тАЭ As if IтАЯd be stupid enough to burst in on any stranger. How did
Sloan think IтАЯd survived this long?
I turned to go, but Sloan wasnтАЯt finished. тАЬOh, one other thing, Kit.тАЭ
тАЬYeah?тАЭ
тАЬSomeone was asking for you. Man in a weathercoat. Looked like a high-power meatman
to me.тАЭ He grinned. тАЬSleep well.тАЭ