"Cory_Doctorow_-_Down_and_Out_in_the_Magic_Kingdom" - читать интересную книгу автора (Doctorow Cory)

“I’m a little pooped. Let’s sit a while longer, if you don’t mind.”
She heaved a dramatic sigh. “Oh, all right. Old man. ” She reached up
and gently tweaked my nipple, and I gave a satisfying little jump. I think the
age difference bothered her, too, though she teased me for letting it get to
me.
“I think I’ll be able to manage a totter through the Haunted Mansion, if
you just give me a moment to rest my bursitis. ” I felt her smile against my
shirt. She loved the Mansion; loved to turn on the ballroom ghosts and
dance their waltz with them on the dusty floor, loved to try and stare down
the marble busts in the library that followed your gaze as you passed.
I liked it too, but I really liked just sitting there with her, watching the
water and the trees. I was just getting ready to go when I heard a soft ping
inside my cochlea. “Damn,” I said. “I’ve got a call.”
“Tell them you’re busy,” she said.
“I will,” I said, and answered the call subvocally. “Julius here.”
“Hi, Julius. It’s Dan. You got a minute?”
I knew a thousand Dans, but I recognized the voice immediately, though
it’d been ten years since we last got drunk at the Gazoo together. I muted
the subvocal and said, “Lil, I’ve got to take this. Do you mind?”
“Oh, no, not at all,” she sarcased at me. She sat up and pulled out her
crack pipe and lit up.
“Dan,” I subvocalized, “long time no speak.”
“Yeah, buddy, it sure has been,” he said, and his voice cracked on a sob.
I turned and gave Lil such a look, she dropped her pipe. “How can I
help?” she said, softly but swiftly. I waved her off and switched the phone
to full-vocal mode. My voice sounded unnaturally loud in the cricketpunctuated
calm.
“Where you at, Dan?” I asked.
“Down here, in Orlando. I’m stuck out on Pleasure Island.”
“All right,” I said. “Meet me at, uh, the Adventurer’s Club, upstairs on
the couch by the door. I’ll be there in—” I shot a look at Lil, who knew the
castmember-only roads better than I. She flashed ten fingers at me. “Ten
minutes.”
“Okay,” he said. “Sorry. ” He had his voice back under control. I
switched off.
“What’s up?” Lil asked.

Cory Doctorow Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom 8
“I’m not sure. An old friend is in town. He sounds like he’s got a
problem.”
Lil pointed a finger at me and made a trigger-squeezing gesture.
“There,” she said. “I’ve just dumped the best route to Pleasure Island to
your public directory. Keep me in the loop, okay?”
I set off for the utilidor entrance near the Hall of Presidents and booted
down the stairs to the hum of the underground tunnel-system. I took the
slidewalk to cast parking and zipped my little cart out to Pleasure Island.
— • —
I found Dan sitting on the L-shaped couch underneath rows of faked-up
trophy shots with humorous captions. Downstairs, castmembers were
working the animatronic masks and idols, chattering with the guests.