"John Kessel - Downtown" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kessel John)

First, food. We got some food. A CosmicBoy accosted us in front of the cheesetaurant. “You’re outliers,
right? For a very reasonable price, I can provide an interstellar experience.”

“How much?” the Duck asked.

Before Cosmic could answer I put the bigger of my two hands—my pushing hand—on his chest. I
pushed. “We aren’t interested, Chaz. My friend may look like a Duck, but he wasn’t fledged
yesterday.”

Cosmic sauntered off. “Why did you chase him away?” the Duck asked.

My right brain informed me that I regretted saying the Duck could come. Thanks, right brain. “Look,
Duck, Let’s split up. I’ll meet you back here at daybreak and a half.”

His display feathers drooped, but he didn’t protest.

So I had me a night and a day and a night. Various transactions were made, physical and psychological.
Fluids were transferred. Charges were discharged. Frankly, I don’t remember most of it.

What I do remember is waking in an alley between a Tavern and a Frothel. The Duck was leaning over
me. He had lost most of his feathers; his downy cheeks made him look like a girl. Holy calamity—he was
a girl.

“Duck?” I said groggily.

“The one and only,” she replied. She levered herself under my arm and helped me to stand. My weekend
skin was ruined. My right brain whirled. “Come on, Schmee,” she said. “Time to slip home.”

“I can’t slip,” I croaked. “I’m completely discharged.”

“I’ll loan you.”

We limped through the street. Downtown was just as bright and attractive as it had been when we
arrived, in a completely meretricious sort of way. Meretricious. That was my left brain coming back.

We stood on the platform waiting for the slip. Ahead: another week in the reality mines. “Life sucks,” I
muttered.

“This can be remedied,” the Duck said. To my utter and complete surprise, she kissed me sweetly on the
cheek.

She is really quite attractive, for a duck.




About the Author
John Kessel is director of Creative Writing at North Carolina State University. His novella “Another
Orphan” received the 1982 Nebula Award, and his short story “Buffalo” won the 1991 Theodore