"Steve Perry - The Man Who Never Missed" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Steven)

SHIN'S KISS

30CC BLENDED LIQUOR - WHISKY STOCK (QUADRANT COMFORT)
30CC FRUIT EXTRACT - COCONUT MILK (ISLE OF WENT)
30CC VEGETABLE EXTRACT - CUCUMBER SOAK (SHIN)
40-45 GRAMS SUCROSE POWDER
DIHYDROGEN OXIDE/CARBON DIOXIDE BLEND, QS TO TOP.

Pen said, "It should be pretty obvious how I have them organized-I go from
general to specific, ending with a brand name, if there is one."

"Interesting," Khadaji said. "But it looks pretty tame. I would think there'd
be a lot stranger stuff."

"Don't let the names fool you," Pen said. "Computer, give me an ingredient
list of Shin-skip the cucumber."

"Running."

Another list lit the air, this time mostly chemical compounds. Water, ammonia,
sodium chloride, potassium chloride, uric acid, creatinine, creatine, urea,
phosphorus, magnesium-the list ran on. It didn't mean anything to Khadaji.

"Don't recognize it?" Pen chuckled again. "You should. It's common enough.
Urine."

Khadaji blinked. "Piss?"

"Human urine, to be precise. Shin is made by soaking a cucumber in urine for a
week, then blending it into a nice frothy texture."

"You're joking."

"Not at all. The drink is quite popular on some worlds- Thompson's Gazelle,
for one. They even drank a version of it on Earth at one time, as a remedy for
snakebite. And there was one culture which drank the urine of those
intoxicated on certain mushrooms-to get the effect without some of the nasty
side effects of the mushrooms themselves."

"Shit."

"As I said, there are some strange beings who will drink even stranger
drinks." Pen's voice was dry. Khadaji didn't know if he was being had or not.
He suspected not.

"There are fewer chemicals used for recreation in the solid and powder
categories, fewer still in gases and radiants. And, of course, which ones are
legal on which worlds determines their use. Is it a bit more complex than you
thought?"