Proto Zoa by Lois McMaster Bujold

Author:Lois McMaster Bujold
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2012-01-02T06:00:00+00:00

* * *

Anias finally succeeded in talking herself out of her doubts, and finished the dream within the next week. It was a relief to be done with it. Usually there was great satisfaction in completing a work. This time she felt more drained than content, like someone coming up for air after too long under water. The cessation of pain was not the same thing as pleasure. Yet she was proud of the mastery of her craft the dream displayed. Anias's imagination was vivid, visceral, full of poetic power, and she had poured that power into the dream. And then there was the money. Perhaps caveat emptor was the best approach after all.

With the master cartridge in her breast pocket, she said good-bye to Chalmys, shamelessly borrowed money to pay for her flyer rental, and began the trip back to civilization. The journey was marred by petty annoyances: bad weather in Toronto, and lost luggage when the shuttle arrived in Rio. It was only after an hour of persistent badgering that a search turned it up in an out-of-the-way corner of the loading area. Anias arrived back at her apartment late and hungry, and feeling that the life of a recluse had more and more appeal.

After a hasty unpacking and a robot-prepared meal that tasted unusually insipid after two weeks at Chalmys's table, she discovered the greatest annoyance of all. Her dream synthesizer, or rather the half of it she carried outside her head, was missing. She went through her things three times, then grouchily decided she must have left it at Chalmys's. Her vone call going, what else, unanswered, she left a message asking him to search for it. After a while she gave up dwelling on her discomforts as nonproductive, and distracted herself with video until time for bed.

The next day was that of Kinsey's appointment. It passed slowly, except that Helmut Gonzales discovered she was back in town, and attempted to pester her once more into finishing his work. Her absence had raised false hopes as to its progress. But she was feeling a bit mellower toward the costume romance, so she did not disillusion him.

With Gonzales fobbed off again, she batted aimlessly around her tiny apartment poking at half-forgotten craft projects and abortive hobbies until, promptly at four, the door buzzed.

It was Kinsey, oily as ever, but with a suppressed excitement about him that led Anias to think the dream might be for his own consumption after all. He sat on her couch with much juggling of his big carrying case.

"I brought my own dream player," he remarked unnecessarily, hauling it out of his bag. "You understand, of course, I naturally wish to, um, examine the product before payment."

"Naturally." Anias produced the master cartridge, and watched critically as he slipped it into his player and attached the single reader lead to the small metal disc behind his left ear. He switched on the player and closed his eyes.

After a few minutes he switched it off again, rather hastily it seemed to her.

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