"Jody Lynn Nye - Medecine Show" - читать интересную книгу автора (Nye Jody Lynn)

"You said a mouthful, sweetie," Shona agreed.


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 Jody Lynn Nye - Medicine Show


"Can one word fill a mouth?" Chirwl asked.
At last, the message following in the scroll contained the promised video. Shona let the titles run long
enough to see Susan's name in the credits as the producer, then shut it off. "There it is," she told Alex,
her eyes shining. "Your Auntie Susan. We'll screen this later when we can all watch it. All right?"
She recorded a message of congratulations to Susan. "I am so proud of you, twin," she said. "While I'm
not sure I want to relive that part of my life, I'm looking forward to seeing it because you did it. I hope
this is the first of a thousand successful projects. Much love, and out!"
In a hopeful mood, Shona pulled up the next message, which was from her uncle Harry's bank on Mars.
Instead of the plump, mustachioed face of her late father's brother, she was confronted by a narrow-eyed
man with black, gimlet eyes. He held up a datacube.
"Doctor Taylor, I am Chang-an Zeles, the chief loan officer of MarsBank One. I have here before me
your file, and specifically the record of your last payment. The release of funds was significantly after
the due date. I have been made to understand by your uncle, a man for whom I have the greatest esteem,
the personal difficulties under which you are working, but those do not free you from the basic
responsibilities of meeting your obligations on time, especially since they are such substantial
obligations. I have no choice but to assess late fees and interest." He touched a button on the console in
front of him. A flat graphic replaced his uncomfortably sharp features.
Numbers dropped one by one into a stark white column in the center of the screen. As the figures
appeared, Zeles explained them in an emotionless voice. At the conclusion, the total bobbed up from the
bottom of the frame, knocking the other numbers upward in a surprised flutter as if they hadn't expected
the kick in the backside. Shona winced at the amount even as she bristled at the implication that she was
using her uncle's position to avoid paying her debts on time. Then she looked at the date.
"Wait a minute!" she exclaimed. Freezing the message in place, she brought up her account record. "I
got an ack notice back from the central database when I released the money— yes, here it is. I did pay
on time."
"You have paid but he thinks you have not?" Chirwl asked. "Who is right?"
"I am," Shona said, with grim satisfaction. "And he recorded this in advance of the overdue date. Look
at the time code."
Chirwl curled into a ball and put his paws over his eyes. "The numbers do a dance I do not like. I think I
see the very soul of the machine, and it is cold."
Lani leaned closer. "He was early," she said.


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"Uh-huh," Shona said. "I bet he had a lot of debtors to dun, and this went out with the queue without
anyone checking. Yes, there we go," she said, pointing to the remaining communiques in her file.
After a short note from her aunt Laurel, she had another message from the same loan officer, looking
rather more harried.
"Had to record one out of turn, did you?" Shona said to the screen, with satisfaction.
"Zeles here," the dour man said peevishly. "I wish to acknowledge the receipt of the payment on your