"George Zebrowski - Augie" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zebrowski George)

Some said it was already being done by the rich and powerful, who were always rumored to be building
highways into some heaven or other.

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He felt her eyes upon him when he came to her door on the seventy-fifth floor of Studio City Nests. The door
shot open and she was standing there, a rag doll in underwear, messy hair wet from tears. Dismayed, he
stepped toward her and the door slid shut behind him.

тАЬOh, Jimmy!тАЭ she cried, rushing into his arms. тАЬWhat are we going to do?тАЭ

He held her and said, тАЬCome sit down. We'll talk to him.тАЭ

She trembled against him for a moment, then pulled back.

тАЬThat's all I've been doing since this morning.тАЭ
тАЬHi, Jimmy!тАЭ Augie's omnidirectional boy's tenor shouted, and Jimmy remembered the first day. White-haired
and blue-eyed, the image of Augie had come to the threedee window and rapped with baby knuckles, ready
to learn from his parents what he would have to know to take care of them.

Image? Jimmy still had to remind himself that the visible image and voice had no body to be imaged. What
you saw was all there was. An elaborately maintained ghost.

тАЬHello, Augie,тАЭ he said. тАЬSo what's wrong with him?тАЭ he whispered to Mira.

тАЬI heard that!тАЭ Augie shouted.

She sat down on the sofa and said calmly, тАЬAsk him something simple, like what's two and two.тАЭ Her
momentary composure waited to be shattered by the next high note of hysteria in her voice.

He sat down next to her and asked, тАЬWhat's two and two, Augie?тАЭ

There was a childish giggle. тАЬWhy do you ask?тАЭ

тАЬI just want to see if you know, Augie.тАЭ

тАЬTwo and two of what, Jimmy? Bushels of apples might have more apples in one than in the other, and maybe
add up to sixty-five apples in one and sixty-four in the other and still be bushels.тАЭ

тАЬNumbers, Augie! The number two added to the number two.тАЭ

тАЬTo itself?тАЭ asked Augie. тАЬThat won't add anything, now will it, Jimmy? How can it? Not if the two were truly
itself.тАЭ He giggled. тАЬIt wouldn't add up.тАЭ

Mira glanced at him. тАЬSee what I mean? You got the butler and I got the spoiled brat.тАЭ

Turning against Augie would free her, Jimmy thought, and make his task here easier. Too much to hope for,
he told himself.