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29. SHIVER Sleight,” Bigend said, as though the name tired him, “is asking about Milgrim. Is he with you?” “No,” Hollis said, stretched on the bed, post-shower, partially wrapped in several of the hotel’s not-so-large white towels. “Isn’t he in New York? Sleight, I mean.” “Toronto,” said Bigend. “He keeps track of Milgrim.” “He does?” She looked at the iPhone. She had no iconic image for Bigend. Maybe a blank rectangle of Klein Blue? “Milgrim initially required quite a lot of keeping track of. That fell to Sleight, for the most part.” “Does he keep track of me?” She looked over at the blue figurine. “Would you like him to?” “No. It would be, in fact, a deal-breaker. For you and me.” “That was my understanding, of course. Where did you buy your phone?” “The Apple Store. SoHo. New York SoHo. Why?” “I’d like to give you another one.” “Why do you care where I bought this one?” “Making certain you bought it yourself.” “The last phone you gave me let you keep track of where I was, Hubertus.” “I won’t do that again.” “Not with a phone, anyway.” “I don’t understand.” She gave the figurine a flick with her finger. It wobbled on its round base. “You know my concerns with integrity of communication,” he said. “I don’t know where Milgrim is,” she said. “Is that all you wanted?” “Sleight’s suggesting he’s left Paris. Done a runner, perhaps. Do you think that likely?” “He’s not that easy to read. Not for me.” “He’s changing,” Bigend said. “That’s the interesting thing, about someone in his situation. There’s always more of him arriving, coming online.” “Maybe something’s arrived that doesn’t want Sleight knowing where it is.” “If you see him,” Bigend said, “would you ask him to ring me, please?” “Yes,” she said, “goodbye.” “Goodbye, Hollis.” She picked up the figurine. It weighed no more than she recalled it having weighed before, which was very little. It was hollow, and apparently seamless. There was no way to see what might be inside it. She sat up on the bed, wrapped in slightly damp towels, as her phone rang again. The
lack-and-white photo of Heidi. “Heidi?” “I’m at the gym. Hackney.” “Yes?” “One of my sparring partners here, he says he knows about your guy.” The gold squiggles of bullshit faux-Chinese calligraphy on the wall opposite seemed to shimmer and detach, drifting toward her. She blinked. “He does?” “You never told me his last name.” “No,” said Hollis. “Begins with W, ends with s? “Yes.” An uncharacteristic pause. Heidi never thought about what she was going to say. “When did you last hear from him?” “Around the time of my U.K. book launch. Why?” “When are you back here?” “Tomorrow. What’s this about?” “Making sure Ajay and I are talking about the same guy.” “Ajay?” “He’s Indian. Well, English. I’ll find out what I can, then you and I will talk.” And she hung up. Hollis wiped her eyes with the corner of one of the towels, restoring the golden brushwork to its place on the blood-colored wallpaper, and shivered.
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TITLES BY WILLIAM GIBSON Neuromance
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VIKING an imprint of PENGUIN BOOKS
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1. CABINET 2. EDGE CITY 3. SLUT’S
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45. SHRAPNEL, SUPERSONIC 46. TORTOI
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To Susan Allison, my editor
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accommodations. A peculiarly narrow
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They’d run with that tallness, em
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2. EDGE CITY Milgrim considered the
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lot. They always made that squealin
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positioned pocket, quite far down o
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3. SLUT’S WOOL She woke to gray l
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The Italian girl brought her a pot
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“Fully.” He forked baked beans
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small army of people who understand
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Milgrim preferred to regard that by
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public toilets as remarkably semico
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No exterior signage. The label, ins
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advanced, but the promise of it had
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6. AFTER THE GYRATORY The Neo’s p
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Milgrim nodded, looking around at t
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7. A HERF GUN IN FRITH STREET Bigen
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“Aldous will take you back to the
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8. CURETTAGE Milgrim, cleaning his
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9. FUCKSTICK When she opened Cabine
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of darts in her life, but didn’t
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interesting, required volunteers, t
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system. Then back, without exiting,
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squirrel suit. He was okay. Hot, to
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and splashed it into the sink. She
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“How so?” “Are they serious a
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to the hotel. We’ll phone you.”
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“Hollis?” She looked up. “Mil
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something he pointed out to me, in
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15. THE DROP Fitzroy,” Clammy sai
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“What were the other people like,
Page 72 and 73: 16. HONOR BAR She was waiting for M
Page 74 and 75: founder and CEO.” “CEO,” he r
Page 76 and 77: “No,” Milgrim agreed, and took
Page 78 and 79: “But it was your rule, remember?
Page 80 and 81: 18. 140 The Neo rang while he was s
Page 82 and 83: 19. PRESENCES Tossing makeup and to
Page 84 and 85: 20. AUGMENTED Milgrim glanced up fr
Page 86 and 87: “I know another Bollard, plus the
Page 88 and 89: pale Scandinavian wood, emerging in
Page 90 and 91: She’d actually seen suits like th
Page 92 and 93: She stepped back into the elevator,
Page 94 and 95: His therapist had suspected that hi
Page 96 and 97: his camera. Now it was Foley’s tu
Page 98 and 99: And two more black-suited minders.
Page 100 and 101: “Were you ever a model?” “No,
Page 102 and 103: sense of what she didn’t like tha
Page 104 and 105: The Neo rang, from a different pock
Page 106 and 107: he put his phone in his jacket pock
Page 108 and 109: “Depends how much it matters to h
Page 110 and 111: 26. MOTHER RUSSIA Kleenex?” Milgr
Page 112 and 113: strap of his bag was securely over
Page 114 and 115: When the elevator stopped again, an
Page 116 and 117: “Found a gym. Hacky.” “Hackne
Page 118 and 119: 28. WHITE PEAR TEA The cost of wifi
Page 120 and 121: “Borrowed laptop. Lost phone.”
Page 124 and 125: 30. SIGHTING Milgrim left the white
Page 126 and 127: In Basel, they had questioned him c
Page 128 and 129: lobby. Outside, the air had been sc
Page 130 and 131: seen him. He smiled ruefully, white
Page 132 and 133: 32. POST-ACUTE The waitress was dep
Page 134 and 135: Hounds haven’t often done things
Page 136 and 137: haven’t been sold off, otherwise
Page 138 and 139: “Blue Ant didn’t send anybody.
Page 140 and 141: 33. BURJ She got the iPhone out of
Page 142 and 143: “Bye, Heidi.” The pale gold bul
Page 144 and 145: Imagining explaining that to Winnie
Page 146 and 147: “Would he have to know?” “Did
Page 148 and 149: 35. DONGLE As the train pulled out
Page 150 and 151: was heavier than he would have expe
Page 152 and 153: “A roll-in. Vinegar and brown pap
Page 154 and 155: “That’s less dangerous?” “N
Page 156 and 157: 37. AJAY Inchmale’s spirit-beast,
Page 158 and 159: “ ‘Engrish,’ ” said Heidi,
Page 160 and 161: 38. GETTING HOTTER Bigend was havin
Page 162 and 163: “I don’t know what he thinks,
Page 164 and 165: “Give it a speed-dial code,” sa
Page 166 and 167: 40. ENIGMA ROTORS His room here ove
Page 168 and 169: unfamiliar. Voytek wore a wool card
Page 170 and 171: “Toilet. Loo.” “In back. With
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He held the door for her. “Welcom
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“Because of who and what they see
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hurt would constitute a dropped bal
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“That’s bad for you?” She loo
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“Not quite. He becomes a hookup a
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43. ICHINOMIYA Thanks for meeting o
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any more. I’ll understand.” Mer
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“Good,” said Milgrim, before Bi
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“I don’t think he did either, m
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“I don’t think he’d like that
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The tall woman’s large, startling
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military contracts, at least it is
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ut the manta, merely a black, devil
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Something moved, three feet above B
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And Milgrim fell, amazed and unthin
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49. GREAT MARLBOROUGH All was forwa
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50. BANK-MONUMENT Milgrim had never
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51. SOMEONE Hollis lay fully dresse
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ear lobby, do some work on my lapto
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yours. Total fanboy.” “That wou
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cushioned. “Archaic expression,
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“You told her that?” “And she
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“The food?” “What they manage
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53. CRICKET The phone’s cricket-n
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54. AIR GLOW Ferguson,” said Winn
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55. MR. WILSON There were few guest
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“Milgrim.” “How much does he
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56. ALWAYS IS GENIUS Milgrim, on hi
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“You refer,” Bigend said, “to
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58. DOUCHE BAGGAGE Voytek was very
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toward one wall, raising the racket
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under her majorette jacket. “Look
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60. RAY Milgrim, in his stocking fe
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“You and that Heidi,” said Fion
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“A sigil?” “The sigil of forg
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62. WAKING Milgrim woke with a leg
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63. CURLY STAYS, SLOW FOOD With Gar
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filigreed instrument Inchmale had u
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64. THREAT MANAGEMENT The toilet in
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“Did you have story time first?
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65. LEOPARD SKIN IN MINIATURE She s
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There was something on the bedside
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66. ZIP Benny’s civilian bike, Mi
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“We saw him,” Fiona said. “He
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67. A CRUSHED MOUSE Ajay, looking p
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translucently ancient waxed cotton
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68. HAND-EYE Now it was Milgrim’s
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69. THE GIFTING SUITE Here?” She
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keeping this on. I’m doing someth
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70. DAZZLE The penguin smelled of K
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couldn’t identify at all. “I’
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“That’s for you to work out. A
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and Heidi, and you and the others,
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he’s sleeping with Hollis. I mean
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Milgrim lowered the helmet to his s
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“I’m sorry,” he said. “What
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73. THE PATCHWORK BOYFRIEND In the
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74. MAP, TERRITORY The heels of Mil
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“I’m not going anywhere without
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76. GONE-AWAY GIRL Milgrim stood, f
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77. GREEN SCREEN The broken wheel o
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“Did you finish your Breast Chase
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78. EL LISSITZKY Care for mineral w
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unless you’re right up on somethi
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Pep, following instructions, hadn
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And then he found Chombo, and Foley
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82. LONDON EYE Thumbing the wings t
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83. PLEASE GO What was that?” she
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84. NEW ONE Fiona’s drone’s bat
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okay?” she’d asked, giving his
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getting him wherever he’s now got
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painfully with the orange leather u
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now.” “At Blue Ant?” Aldous n
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THANKS: My wife Deborah and daughte
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45. SHRAPNEL, SUPERSONIC 46. TORTOI
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