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

sat back with a sigh.
All four of RainтАЯs eyes watched me avidly. тАЬNow will you go out on the street and sing?тАЭ
I sighed again. тАЬWhat IтАЯd really like to do is go back to sleep...but I wonтАЯt!тАЭ I added hurriedly
as RainтАЯs tentacles writhed. тАЬFat Sloan will be kicking people out in a few minutes,
anyway--except for the crashed-out flashmen. HeтАЯll just charge them for a second night and
Edward Willett Andy Nebula: Interstellar Rock Star 7


leave them where they are.тАЭ I got up and padded to the sink. There was a shower down the
hall but you never knew who youтАЯd meet in there. IтАЯd settle for a wet washrag and some of Fat
SloanтАЯs gritty soap.
тАЬI have heard of these тАЮflashmen,тАЯтАЬ said Rain. тАЬThey are humans who have become addicted
to a chemical substance?тАЭ
I ran water on the rag, then wet the soap. тАЬYeah, flash.тАЭ
тАЬAnd why do they take this substance?тАЭ
тАЬTo escape.тАЭ
тАЬEscape? Escape what?тАЭ
тАЬTheir lives. Places like this.тАЭ I sniffed at the washrag. Either it or the soap smelled rancid.
I settled for splashing water over myself, then rubbing down with the towel.
тАЬBut even after they take it, they are still here.тАЭ
тАЬNot in their heads. Up there, theyтАЯre somewhere else--even someone else. Plus it makes
you feel really strong and fast, like you could do anything.тАЭ
тАЬYou have tried it?тАЭ
I tossed the towel aside and reached for my clothes--still wet, but all I had. тАЬNo. But IтАЯve
heard.тАЭ And some nights, IтАЯd been tempted. I forced my legs into my blackjeans.
тАЬWhere do these тАЮflashmenтАЯ get this substance?тАЭ
тАЬJust about anywhere. ThereтАЯs a dealer on every block. Fat Sloan, for example.тАЭ
тАЬAnd where do they get it?тАЭ
My shirts felt like sheets of ice on my back. тАЬHow should I know?тАЭ I snapped. тАЬYou sure
do ask a lot of questions!тАЭ
тАЬI wish to learn about your culture,тАЭ said Rain. тАЬThat is why I am here. These things I am
learning from you were not included in the data on Murdoch IV contained in the shipтАЯs
computer.тАЭ
тАЬYeah? Well, I donтАЯt know much about the rest of the planet, but if you want data about its
lovely capital city, I know stuff that will slag your hardware.тАЭ I put on my damp jacket and
grabbed the stringsynth. тАЬLetтАЯs lift for the street, gladeye!тАЭ
тАЬGladeye?тАЭ
I sighed. тАЬThatтАЯs street slang for friend--you know, I see you, I feel glad, so тАЮgladeye.тАЯтАЬ
RainтАЯs eyes stacked up one above the other. тАЬI have not heard this. My knowledge of your
language is incomplete.тАЭ
тАЬNo,тАЭ I said. тАЬYou speak standard Fedspeech very well. But individual groups--like
streetkids--speak variations of it.тАЭ
He sidled closer, staring so intently with all four purple eyes that I took a step back. You
havenтАЯt been stared at тАЮtil youтАЯve been stared at by a Hydra. тАЬYour pattern of speech is
inconsistant,тАЭ he said. тАЬSometimes you speak тАЮstandardтАЯ speech and sometimes this тАЮslang.тАЯ I
do not understand.тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЯt plan to be a streetslug all my life,тАЭ I said. тАЬSo whenever IтАЯve got a few extra feds
I plug the self-teachers at Data Central.тАЭ I grinned at him and put on the clipped accent of the
Planetary Governor. тАЬI am perfectly capable of speaking standard Fedspeech; however, such
a mode of communication would not serve me well among my peers in the underprivileged