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“Did you have story time first?” “No.” “You think something’s happening? You tweeted.” The verb sounded off, the more particularly because he knew it wasn’t part of a nursery theme. “Something is. I don’t know what. He’s hired someone called Wilson, and delegated.” He was glad he’d remembered the word. “Threat management,” she said. “He’s outsourcing. Shows he’s taking it seriously. Have you met Wilson?” “No.” “What’s Wilson telling them to do?” “They put a box on the back of Fiona’s bike. The kind they haul eyeballs in.” There was a perfect digital silence, then: “Who’s Fiona?” “She drives. For Bigend. Motorcycles.” “Okay,” said Winnie. “We’ll just start again. Tasking.” “Tasking?” “I want you to meet Wilson. I want to know about Wilson. Most importantly, the name of the firm he’s working for.” “Isn’t he working for Bigend?” “He works for one of the security firms. Bigend is the client. Don’t ask him. Just find out. Sneaky-ass, though. You can do sneaky-ass. Instinct tells me. Whose phone are you using?” “Fiona’s.” “I just e-mailed the number to someone, and they’re telling me the GPS is very amusing. Unless you’ve taken up marathon randomized teleportation.” “It’s new. She just got it from Bigend.” “That might be Wilson, the threat management consultant. Earning his keep, if that’s the case. Okay. You’re tasked. Go for it. Call, tweet.” She was gone. The room filled with that weird chicken-scratch sub-Hendrix chord. He rushed out the door, tripped on part of an engine, and nearly fell, but managed to thrust the phone into Fiona’s hand. As he did so, he wondered whether or not it might be Winnie. “Hullo? Yes. It’s on. Very convincing. Having my dampers replaced next. They’re a bit rough. You would? Certainly. I’ll borrow a bike. Fast? My pleasure.” She smiled. “What he was wearing yesterday?” She looked at Milgrim. “I’ll tell him.” She put the phone in her pants pocket. Milgrim raised his eyebrows. “Wilson,” Fiona said. “You’re required soonest, over the river. Wants to meet you. And you’re to bring what you were wearing yesterday.” “Why?” “Thinks kit from Tanky & Tojo doesn’t suit you.” Milgrim winced.
“Taking the piss,” she said, bumping his arm with her fist. “You’re very smart. I’m borrowing a fast bike for the job while Saad does my dampers. Benny’s.” “Feck,” said Benny softly, a small sound but filled with resignation, as to immemorial hardship. “Don’t bugger it again, can you?”
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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
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When the elevator stopped again, an
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“Found a gym. Hacky.” “Hackne
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28. WHITE PEAR TEA The cost of wifi
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“Borrowed laptop. Lost phone.”
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29. SHIVER Sleight,” Bigend said,
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30. SIGHTING Milgrim left the white
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In Basel, they had questioned him c
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lobby. Outside, the air had been sc
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seen him. He smiled ruefully, white
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32. POST-ACUTE The waitress was dep
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Hounds haven’t often done things
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haven’t been sold off, otherwise
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“Blue Ant didn’t send anybody.
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33. BURJ She got the iPhone out of
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“Bye, Heidi.” The pale gold bul
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Imagining explaining that to Winnie
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“Would he have to know?” “Did
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35. DONGLE As the train pulled out
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was heavier than he would have expe
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“A roll-in. Vinegar and brown pap
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“That’s less dangerous?” “N
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37. AJAY Inchmale’s spirit-beast,
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“ ‘Engrish,’ ” said Heidi,
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38. GETTING HOTTER Bigend was havin
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“I don’t know what he thinks,
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“Give it a speed-dial code,” sa
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40. ENIGMA ROTORS His room here ove
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unfamiliar. Voytek wore a wool card
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“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
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,
Page 214 and 215: “You told her that?” “And she
Page 216 and 217: “The food?” “What they manage
Page 218 and 219: 53. CRICKET The phone’s cricket-n
Page 220 and 221: 54. AIR GLOW Ferguson,” said Winn
Page 222 and 223: 55. MR. WILSON There were few guest
Page 224 and 225: “Milgrim.” “How much does he
Page 226 and 227: 56. ALWAYS IS GENIUS Milgrim, on hi
Page 228 and 229: “You refer,” Bigend said, “to
Page 230 and 231: 58. DOUCHE BAGGAGE Voytek was very
Page 232 and 233: toward one wall, raising the racket
Page 234 and 235: under her majorette jacket. “Look
Page 236 and 237: 60. RAY Milgrim, in his stocking fe
Page 238 and 239: “You and that Heidi,” said Fion
Page 240 and 241: “A sigil?” “The sigil of forg
Page 242 and 243: 62. WAKING Milgrim woke with a leg
Page 244 and 245: 63. CURLY STAYS, SLOW FOOD With Gar
Page 246 and 247: filigreed instrument Inchmale had u
Page 248 and 249: 64. THREAT MANAGEMENT The toilet in
Page 252 and 253: 65. LEOPARD SKIN IN MINIATURE She s
Page 254 and 255: There was something on the bedside
Page 256 and 257: 66. ZIP Benny’s civilian bike, Mi
Page 258 and 259: “We saw him,” Fiona said. “He
Page 260 and 261: 67. A CRUSHED MOUSE Ajay, looking p
Page 262 and 263: translucently ancient waxed cotton
Page 264 and 265: 68. HAND-EYE Now it was Milgrim’s
Page 266 and 267: 69. THE GIFTING SUITE Here?” She
Page 268 and 269: keeping this on. I’m doing someth
Page 270 and 271: 70. DAZZLE The penguin smelled of K
Page 272 and 273: couldn’t identify at all. “I’
Page 274 and 275: “That’s for you to work out. A
Page 276 and 277: and Heidi, and you and the others,
Page 278 and 279: he’s sleeping with Hollis. I mean
Page 280 and 281: Milgrim lowered the helmet to his s
Page 282 and 283: “I’m sorry,” he said. “What
Page 284 and 285: 73. THE PATCHWORK BOYFRIEND In the
Page 286 and 287: 74. MAP, TERRITORY The heels of Mil
Page 288 and 289: “I’m not going anywhere without
Page 290 and 291: 76. GONE-AWAY GIRL Milgrim stood, f
Page 292 and 293: 77. GREEN SCREEN The broken wheel o
Page 294 and 295: “Did you finish your Breast Chase
Page 296 and 297: 78. EL LISSITZKY Care for mineral w
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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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