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

I jumped as he laid a tentacle on my arm. His orange skin felt very warm and slightly moist.
тАЬYour pardon,тАЭ the Hydra said. тАЬI believe it is a human custom to exchange names. IтАЯve told
you mine; you are...?тАЭ
тАЬIтАЯm called Kit,тАЭ I said, a little breathlessly.
тАЬKit? Do not humans usually have two names or more?тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЯt.тАЭ I looked around the dingy little room. There was only one bed, but the Hydra
wouldnтАЯt use one, anyway...I hoped.
тАЬIs that usual?тАЭ
I tossed the synth on the bed and sat down beside it, then undid the laces on my left boot,
wriggling my toes and hearing squelchy sounds. тАЬMost people have an individual name and
a family name, but I donтАЯt have a family. My parents ran off when I was a baby.тАЭ I pulled off
the boot with rather more force than was necessary. тАЬThe orphanage didnтАЯt give me a name,
just an ID number. I was supposed to choose my own name when I was twelve, standard. In
the meantime they called me by a тАЮpre-nameтАЯ--Kit.тАЭ
тАЬBut surely...I am not a good judge of human ages, but surely you are older than twelve
now.тАЭ
I attacked the right boot. тАЬYeah, IтАЯm fifteen, local--seventeen, standard--but I left the
orphanage when I was ten, and IтАЯve had other things to worry about. KitтАЯs good enough.тАЭ
The Hydra--Rain--said nothing, though his tentacles continued to move slowly. They made
me queasy, so I stood up and went to the wash basin in one corner of the room, where I
dumped the water from my boots. The rough towel Fat Sloan provided wasnтАЯt all that clean,
but it was dry. I took off my coat, vest and two shirts; hesitated, then shrugged and stripped
off the rest of my wet clothes and began rubbing myself dry. Rain spoke up again abruptly.
тАЬWhat is in this?тАЭ In the cracked mirror I saw him lay one tentacle on my synth.
тАЬItтАЯs a stringsynth,тАЭ I said. тАЬA musical instrument.тАЭ I toweled my tangled hair furiously. тАЬIтАЯm
a street musician.тАЭ
тАЬA musician! A human musician!тАЭ All four of his eyes focused on me suddenly. тАЬI have been
hoping to meet one! I am honored!тАЭ
I wrapped the towel around my waist. тАЬWell, thatтАЯs a first.тАЭ Great, I thought. I finally get a
groupie, and heтАЯs an alien.
тАЬMusicians have great prestige in our society.тАЭ Rain caressed the synthтАЯs strings. тАЬAnd we
admire human musicians especially. Your vocal apparatus is limited, but you create melodies
we have never dreamed of--and your harmonies...! I am honored, indeed.тАЭ
Edward Willett Andy Nebula: Interstellar Rock Star 5


I shook my head. тАЬIтАЯm just a streetkid with a beat-up old stringsynth. YouтАЯve got nothing
to learn from me.тАЭ
тАЬYou are wrong, Kit. I have already learned much from you. I will choose to keep much
of it.тАЭ
Whatever that meant. тАЬSo, you know who I am. What about you? What are you doing in
Fat SloanтАЯs flophouse?тАЭ I reached for the mealpac and pulled its tab; the rich, nose-stinging
odor of peppered greenfish steamed out of it, making my mouth water.
тАЬFlophouse?тАЭ His tentacles waved. тАЬWhat is--?тАЭ
тАЬHotel.тАЭ I gestured at the yellowing walls. тАЬThis place.тАЭ
тАЬIt is as I told Mr. Sloan: I am a spacer, but I am between berths. I came here to enjoy new
experiences.тАЭ
I almost choked on my first mouthful of stew. тАЬYou mean youтАЯre here--in Fat SloanтАЯs--as a
тАЮtouristтАЯ?тАЭ
тАЬI believe that would be an accurate--do you need assistance?тАЭ