"FWLS37" - читать интересную книгу автора (A Future We'd Like to See)

easier if I had transferred it to paper.

"That'll be double fee for two passengers," the cabbie said.
"HOV restrictions. If they catch me with three passengers and no
license to port around that many, I'll need the bribe money."

"I can put him in the trunk," I offered.

*

KNOCK. KNOCK. I hope Twinkie didn't mind me using his
shoulder to hit the door, but really I had my hands full lugging
him around. Covering up confusion and depression with bad
physical humor is common nature, I guess.

"Doc's out," the door said. "What do you need?"

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, a talking door. Pretty damn funny, yeah? Load of
bull. Gimmie a message so I can tell him, then go away. I'll
have you know I'm fully armed."

"You are?"

"Well, no, not really, but I wish I was."

"How can a door talk?"

"Look, this Doc, he's an artificial intelligence expert,
right?" the door reasoned. "So, one lazy Sunday morning, not
much business, he codes up a door with an attitude. I'm great
against solicitors. Ever tell some fundie religious guy that
you'll happily let them in, we're busy sacrificing a bull to
Zeus, and later on you can participate in our nude caviar orgy
and drug-fest?"

"Err, no."

"I have. Damn lot of fun, that is. Try it sometime, you'll
see."

Twinkie would have liked this door. "Look, this guy's
pretty heavy, so--"

"Looks familiar. Hold him up to the light," the door
ordered. "Come on, come on, I've got things to do, places to go.
Alright. Let's see who... whoa. Now there's someone I haven't
seen in awhile."