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

I swallowed before I gagged on laughter and fish broth. тАЬNo, no, IтАЯm fine. Rain, if you want
new experiences, stick with me. IтАЯll show you a side of Fistfight City you can bet
your--uh--bottom youтАЯve never seen before.тАЭ
тАЬThank you!тАЭ Rain crowed. тАЬI am in your debt, Kit. Will you also play some of your music
for me?тАЭ
тАЬCount on it.тАЭ Thunder shook the room and the wind shrieked through a crack in the
window, but I was warm, dry and eating. In my life, IтАЯd learned not to ask for more than that.
Of course, as my roommate proved, sometimes we get things we donтАЯt ask for.
Edward Willett Andy Nebula: Interstellar Rock Star 6


CHAPTER TWO

Rain asked so many questions I thought heтАЯd never let me sleep, but round midnight he
suddenly shut up, in the middle of a sentence. That would have been great, except he didnтАЯt
exactly fall silent; instead, he began to make a faint keening sound, like the wind, only
higher-pitched and more constant. тАЬOrbital,тАЭ I muttered. If the pillow had smelled fresher, IтАЯd
have clamped it over my head. тАЬRoomies with a snoring alien.тАЭ
The sound kept on. I opened my eyes and looked at Rain in the uncertain light that spilled
from the flashing red holosign of the tavern across the road. He had pulled all his tentacles into
a tight ball atop his stalk, which pulsed slowly. I swallowed. IтАЯd seen just about everything on
the streets of Fistfight City, and never had a nightmare, but sharing a room with that just might
manage it. Especially if he kept up that awful noise...
He did. But nothing else happened, and you can get used to any kind of noise if you hear
it long enough--something I always figured explained the success of the Sensation Singles.
Anyway, it had been a long day, and the bed, even if not particularly clean, was comfortable.
Sometime while I was telling myself IтАЯd be lying awake all night, I closed my eyes, and when
I opened them again, sunlight on the puddle that had collected underneath the window cast
rippling reflections on the walls. The rain was over--and Rain was gone.
I sat up and stared around the room. No sign heтАЯd ever been there. Maybe IтАЯd dreamed him.
Maybe IтАЯd dreamed the man in the weathercoat, too. I hoped so.
My stomach growled and I picked up the empty mealpac. I should have saved half of it for
breakfast...now IтАЯd have to start the day hungry. Nothing new, but not my first choice...
The door banged open and I scrambled back into the corner, grabbing the pillow. The
meatman? No, not unless heтАЯd grown some more arms...тАЭRain? Is that you?тАЭ As soon as I asked
the question I felt stupid; what other four-eyed tentacled orange monster would be barging
into my room first thing in the morning?
тАЬAffirmative, it is I!тАЭ he chortled in that peculiar male/female voice. тАЬI bring food!тАЭ
тАЬFood?тАЭ I tossed aside the pillow. тАЬWhat kind of food?тАЭ
тАЬI asked the tavern-woman across the street for food-which-you-eat-in-the-morning--тАЭ
тАЬBreakfast.тАЭ
тАЬ--breakfast, yes, and she gave me this.тАЭ From somewhere he produced a mealpac, twice
the size of the one IтАЯd gotten from Fat Sloan, and dropped it in my lap.
I tore it open, and mouthwatering steam filled the room. A redcheese and findel-egg
omelet! I hadnтАЯt eaten this good in--I couldnтАЯt remember. It even came with a fork! IтАЯd gulped
half the contents before I remembered what passed for my manners. тАЬUh, Rain, did you want
some?тАЭ
He made a choking noise that it took me a moment to recognize as laughter. тАЬNo, thank
you. I ate only nine days ago.тАЭ
тАЬOh.тАЭ I didnтАЯt try to change his mind. Within minutes I swallowed the last tangy bite and