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hologram remote projector needs tuning."
"You're the first to complain," said Kurt Winterguild, smiling
faintly.
"Still in business, huh?"
"As a matter of fact, my boy, I've risen in the International Drug
Control Agency since you went into hibernation," said the tattooed man.
"I'm now Field Director for the Western United States."
"We always knew you'd rise in your chosen profession. Congratulations."
Jake tucked his lazgun into his waistband. "Did you invite me out
here to help you celebrate your promotion?"
"I was anxious for a private talk," said the IDCA agent, crossing his
legs. "What I'd really like to see you do, Jake, is forget all about
Dr. Kittridge."
"Oh, so?"
"My agency is handling the matter and--"
"Handling it how? You hunting for the doctor?"
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"Even as we speak, Jake, I'm here in Mexico, heading up the search."
"Meaning you don't know where he and his daughter are?" "We're not
actually that interested in Beth Kittridge---only insofar as she might
be able to tell us where her father is if we found her."
"Did he have it with him?"
"Did he have what, my boy?"
"His anti-Tek device?"
Winterguild laughed. "Not exactly." "But he has something you want."
"We want Dr. Kittridge himself, Jake." "Before Sonny Hokori gets
him."
"Before anyone, you included, locates him."
"So the crash was real?"
Winterguild laughed again, recrossed his legs. "Ah, four years on ice
hasn't modified you much, my boy. You still try to get more than
give." He rested his elbow on his knee, leaned toward Jake and gave
him a searching gaze. "I'm requesting that you drop the Kittridge
investigation."
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"Walt Bascom'd be the one I'd take that sort of request up with--were I
you."
"Our feelings have already been conveyed to him."
"Yeah, and I can guess what he told you. Which saves me from telling
you."
"Reflect on my suggestions, Jake. I really don't want to have to worry
about your intruding in my investigation," Winterguild said. "Keep in
mind, too, my boy, that there can be a lot worse things than a stay in
the Freezer."
"And you keep in mind that if I ever meet up with something other than
a projection of you--watch out."
Laughing once again, the drug agent vanished and left Jake alone in the
dark.
The slim, deeply tanned man took a pack of marihuana cigarettes out of
his jacket pocket. "Smoke, Jake?"
Jake shook his head. "No thanks, Jerry."
It was a few minutes after six in the evening and they were sitting in
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candy-striped plaschairs beside a large oval swimming pool. Beyond the
pool rose an impressive Moroccan-style mansion, rich with wrought-iron
and bright red tiles, surrounded with thick foliage and bright flowers.
This was in the exclusive Watts Sector.
"You implied on the phone I might be able to help you," said Jerry
Sundell. "Is it about a job? Because, much as I'd like to honor our
old, deep friendship, Jake buddy, Sundell Productions isn't as vast as
it was before you--"
"I'm not looking for a job in the porno industry."
Sundell lit his cigarette and then laughed. "Hey, I'm out of porno,
Jake. Have been for three years, ever since the Supreme Court/ West
Coast Division ruled that showing sexual intercourse between lifelike
androids was as filthy and obscene as when humans screw." He sighed
out smoke. "It ruined pornography as we know it." \"What are you
producing now?"
"Legitimate vidwa]l movies. In fact, I may be able to use you as a
consultant on one of them. It's going to be about the Tek Wars."
"Tek Wars?"
"You know, the battles between the various Tek interests, the battles
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with the various anti-Tek government agencies. It's, I'm telling you,
Jake buddy, the stuff of high drama and excitement." He leaned forward
in his chair. "The movie will also have romance, a terrific subplot
and lots of bimbos with impressive tits."
"During that earlier phase of your career, you knew some important
people in the Tek trade."
"Only casually."
"And you still have some contacts."
"Not really, no. I mean, I'm making an important film attacking the
bastards. I couldn't still be--"
"Camouflage," said Jake quietly. "What do you know about Leon
Kittridge?"
"Not much."
"If you're producing this Tek epic, you have to know about--" "Jake,
I'm commencing to be a bit offended." Sundell stood up, tossed his
marihuana cigarette into the pool. After its sizzle had faded, he
added, "What I mean is, I'm a movie exec of substance now, a major
vidwall producer. To come here and imply that--Oh, shit!"
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Jake turned to look at what the producer was staring at.
The entire impressive mansion was starting to shimmer and shake.
"Another quake?" asked Jake. "Shit, goddamn it, shit."
The wrought-iron trim faded, grew dim and was gone. Next the thick,
cream-colored stucco walls blurred and disappeared.
In less than three minutes the entire vast house had vanished. A
foundation and the floors and some furniture was all that remained. In
what had been the master bedroom a naked redheaded young woman sat up
in the oval bed and scowled over at Sundell.
"You putz," she accused.
"Honey, I swear to God I paid the bill to Habitex, Inc."
"Schlep," she yelled. "This is really frigging embarrassing."
\"Honey, I'll phone them right now to complain. The house'll be
back in less than an hour."
"What was the house?" asked Jake. "A hologram projection?" "Yeah,
yeah. It's a hell of a lot cheaper than actually building. This part
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of the Watts Sector is very much sought after and the lot alone set me
back a million, four hundred thousand," the unsettled producer
explained. "So when Habitex, Inc." suggested a big socko house for
just three thousand a month, I took it."
"You behind on the rent?"
"Naw, not really. Only four months."
"The epics aren't paying?"
"Not as well as porno did," Sundell admitted. "Now, Jake, I really
have to--"
"Tell me what you know about Kittridge first," suggested Jake, getting
a persuasive grip on his nearest arm. "Tell me what you've heard from
your contacts in the Tek trade."
"All right. What I know is this, Jake buddy--this Kittridge was onto
something, something that can foul up the business. A lot of them
wanted Kittridge to give up what he was working on." "So they killed
him?"
"I'm not sure, some of them only wanted to talk to him. Maybe
negotiate something, you know."
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"Was Sonny Hokori one of those involved?"
"Him especially," said Sundell. "Now, Jake, I really have to get--oh,
shit!" He was staring up into the twilight sky, deepening sadness
showing on his evenly tanned face. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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