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“Give it a speed-dial code,” said Heidi. “I never use that.” Heidi snorted. “Call him.” Hollis did. Almost immediately, the room filled with the sound of a ring tone, unfamiliar. Five rings. “He’s not there,” said Hollis, looking up at Heidi. “Let it ring.” After the tenth ring, there was a small, nondescript digital sound. Someone, perhaps a very old woman, began to chatter fiercely, demonstratively, in what might have been an oriental language. She seemed to make three firm statements, increasingly brief. Then silence. Then the record tone. “Hello?” Hollis winced. “Hello! This is Hollis Henry, phoning for Garreth.” She swallowed, almost coughed. “I just heard about your accident. I’m sorry. I’m worried. Could you call me, please? I hope you get this. I’m in London.” She recited her number. “I—” The record tone sounded again, causing her to jerk. “Hang up,” said Heidi. Hollis did. “That was good,” said Heidi, punching her shoulder softly. “I feel like throwing up,” said Hollis. “What if he doesn’t call?” “What if he does?” “Exactly,” said Hollis. “Either way, we’ve moved it forward. But he will.” “I’m not so sure.” “If you felt like he wouldn’t, you wouldn’t be going through this. You wouldn’t need to.” Hollis sighed, shakily, and looked at the phone in her hand, which now seemed to have taken on a life of its own. “I’m not doing Ajay,” Heidi said. “I wondered,” said Hollis. “What I am doing, very actively, is not doing Ajay.” She sighed. “Best sparring partner I’ve ever had. You wouldn’t believe the way those squaddies can mix it.” “What are ‘squaddies’?” “I don’t know.” Heidi grinned. “I think it might just mean regular soldiers, in which case it’s a joke, because they aren’t that.” “Where did you find them?” “The gym. Hackney. Your boy at the front door found it for me. Robert. He’s cute. I went over there in a cab. They laughed at me. Don’t get women there. I had to put some whup-ass on Ajay. Which was not easy. Picked him ’cause he was smallest.” “What are they?” “Something. Military. Listening to them, you can’t tell whether they’re still in or not.
Bouncers, bodyguards, like that. Moonlighting? Between assignments? Fuck if I know.” Hollis was still looking at the iPhone. “You think that was Korean? On his voice mail?” “I don’t know,” said Hollis. The phone rang. “There you go,” said Heidi, and winked. “Hello?” “Welcome back.” Bigend’s voice filled the room. “I’m on my way back to the office. Can you join me there, please? We should talk.” Hollis looked up at Heidi, tears starting to come. Then back down at the phone. “Hello?” said Bigend. “Are you there?”
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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,
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16. HONOR BAR She was waiting for M
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founder and CEO.” “CEO,” he r
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“No,” Milgrim agreed, and took
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“But it was your rule, remember?
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18. 140 The Neo rang while he was s
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19. PRESENCES Tossing makeup and to
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20. AUGMENTED Milgrim glanced up fr
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“I know another Bollard, plus the
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pale Scandinavian wood, emerging in
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She’d actually seen suits like th
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She stepped back into the elevator,
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His therapist had suspected that hi
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his camera. Now it was Foley’s tu
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And two more black-suited minders.
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“Were you ever a model?” “No,
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sense of what she didn’t like tha
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The Neo rang, from a different pock
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he put his phone in his jacket pock
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“Depends how much it matters to h
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26. MOTHER RUSSIA Kleenex?” Milgr
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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 122 and 123: 29. SHIVER Sleight,” Bigend said,
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 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
Page 172 and 173: He held the door for her. “Welcom
Page 174 and 175: “Because of who and what they see
Page 176 and 177: hurt would constitute a dropped bal
Page 178 and 179: “That’s bad for you?” She loo
Page 180 and 181: “Not quite. He becomes a hookup a
Page 182 and 183: 43. ICHINOMIYA Thanks for meeting o
Page 184 and 185: any more. I’ll understand.” Mer
Page 186 and 187: “Good,” said Milgrim, before Bi
Page 188 and 189: “I don’t think he did either, m
Page 190 and 191: “I don’t think he’d like that
Page 192 and 193: The tall woman’s large, startling
Page 194 and 195: military contracts, at least it is
Page 196 and 197: ut the manta, merely a black, devil
Page 198 and 199: Something moved, three feet above B
Page 200 and 201: And Milgrim fell, amazed and unthin
Page 202 and 203: 49. GREAT MARLBOROUGH All was forwa
Page 204 and 205: 50. BANK-MONUMENT Milgrim had never
Page 206 and 207: 51. SOMEONE Hollis lay fully dresse
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Page 210 and 211: yours. Total fanboy.” “That wou
Page 212 and 213: 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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