"Scott Westerfeld - Uglies 03 - Specials" - читать интересную книгу автора (Westerfeld Scott)

hand rested on Tally's shoulder, gently pushing her forward.
Tally nodded, hearing the others' slow, calm breaths through the skintenna link. It was just like
Shay had promised: The Cutters were connected, an unbreakable clique. She would never be alone
again, even when it felt like something was missing inside her. Even when she felt the lack of Zane like
head-spinning panic.
She plunged through the branches, following Shay into the flashing lights.


Tally's memories were perfect now, not like when she'd been a bubblehead, confused and
muddled all the time. She remembered what a big deal Spring Bash was for uglies. The approach of
spring meant longer days for tricks and hoverboarding, and lots more outdoor parties to come.
But as she and Fausto followed Shay through the crowd, Tally felt none of the energy she
remembered from last year. The bash seemed so tame, so listless and random. The uglies just stood
around, so shy and self-conscious that anyone actually dancing looked like they were trying too hard.
They all seemed flat and artificial, like party extras on a video wall, waiting for the real people to arrive.
Still, it was true what Shay liked to say: Uglies weren't as clueless as bubbleheads. The crowd
parted easily, everyone sliding out of her way. However zitty and uneven their faces, the uglies' eyes were
sharp, full of nervous stabs of awareness. They were smart enough to sense that the three Cutters were
different. No one stared for too long at Tally or realized what she was behind her smart-plastic mask, but
bodies moved aside at her lightest touch, shivers playing across their shoulders as she passed, as if the
uglies sensed something dangerous in the air.
It was easy seeing the thoughts ripple across their faces. Tally could watch the jealousies and
hatreds, rivalry and attraction, all of it written on their expressions and in the way they moved. Now that
she was special, everything was laid out clearly, like looking down on a forest path from above.
She found herself smiling, finally relaxing and ready for the hunt. Spotting party-crashers was
going to be simple.
Tally scanned the crowd, searching for anyone who seemed out of place: a little too confident,
overmuscled, and suntanned from living in the wild. She knew what Smokies looked like.
Last fall, back in ugly days, Shay had run away into the wild to escape the bubblehead operation.
Tally had followed to bring her back, and they'd both wound up living in the Old Smoke for a few long
weeks. Scrabbling like an animal had been pure torture, but her memories came in handy now. Smokies
had an arrogance about them; they thought they were better than people in the city
It took Tally just seconds to spot Ho and Tachs across the crowded field. They stood out like a
pair of cats gliding through a waddling flock of ducks.
"You think we're too obvious, Boss?" she whispered, letting the network carry her words.
"Obvious how?"
"They all look so clueless. We look…special."
"We are special." Shay looked back at Tally over her shoulder, a grin playing on her face.
"But I thought we were supposed to be in disguise."
"Doesn't mean we can't have fun!" Shay suddenly darted away through the crowd.
Fausto reached out and touched Tally's shoulder. "Watch and learn."
He'd been special longer than she had. The Cutters were a brand-new part of Special
Circumstances, but Tally's operation had taken the longest. She'd done a lot of very average things in her
past, and it had taken a while for the doctors to strip away all the built-up guilt and shame. Random
leftover emotions could leave your brain muddled, which wasn't very special. Power came from icy
clarity, from knowing exactly what you were, from cutting.
So Tally hung back with Fausto, watching and learning.
Shay grabbed a boy at random, yanking him away from the girl he was talking to. His drink
sloshed onto the ground as he started to pull away in protest, but then he caught Shay's gaze.
Shay wasn't as ugly as the rest of them, Tally noticed, the violet highlights in her eyes still visible