“It’s a holiday,” he said absently. “We’ll just have our little holiday now, we’ll live for the moment, we’ll be just like real people.”
When they were dressed, they stepped onto the balcony. The balcony was crowded now, with many friendly strangers. As Greta appeared, she was instantly greeted from the streets below with howls of male demand.
Greta’s eyes grew wide with shock behind her feathered mask. “Good Lord,” she said. “I always knew that’s what men want from you, but to have them just standing there, publicly yelling it…I can’t believe this.”
“You can show yourself off if you like. They’ll give you beads for it.”
She thought about it. “I might just do it if you went down into the street, and yelled up at me.”
“That’s a distinct possibility. Let me get my camera first.”
She smiled wickedly. “You’ll have to throw me my beads, though, mister. And they’ll have to be very nice ones.”
“I enjoy a challenge,” Oscar said.
A string of green-and-gold beads flew up to strike at Greta. She batted at the necklace, tried to catch it, missed. In the street below them, a tall middle-aged man with a mustache below his mask was jumping up and down, and bellowing at her. He was waving both arms frantically, as if trying to signal an airliner.
“Look at that clown,” Oscar said, grinning. “He’s really smitten.”
“He’s got a girlfriend already,” Greta said.
The man and his smiling girlfriend fought their way valiantly through the passing crowd, until they had wedged themselves directly below the balcony.
“Dr. Penninger!” the man shouted. “Hey, show us your brain!”
“Oh, hell, that’s torn it,” Oscar said angrily. “They’re paparazzi.”
“Hey, Oscar!” the man shouted lustily. He pulled off his mask. “Look, look!”
“Do you know that man?” Greta said.
“No…” Oscar stared suddenly. “Hey! I do! It’s Yosh! It’s Yosh Pelicanos.” He leaned over the balcony, doubling over to shout down. “Yosh! Hi!”
“Look here!” Yosh shouted giddily, pointing to the masked and costumed brunette at his side. “Look, it’s Sandra!”
“What is he talking about?” Greta said.
“That’s his wife,” Oscar marveled. “It’s his wife, Sandra.” He cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted, “Sandra! Hello! Good to meet you!”
“I’m all better!” Sandra shrilled. “I’m so much better now.”
“That’s great!” Oscar yelled. “That’s marvelous! Come on up, Yosh! Come up and have a drink with us!”
“No time!” Pelicanos shouted. His wife was being swept away by the pressure of passersby. Pelicanos caught her hand and shielded her for a moment. Sandra seemed a little unsure of herself in the crowd; not too surprising, considering her nine years in a mental hospital.
“We have to go make love now,” Sandra shouted, with a shy and radiant smile.
“God bless you, Dr. Penninger!” Pelicanos shouted, waving his mask and retreating. “You’re a great genius! Thank you for being alive! Thank you for being you!”
“Who were those people?” Greta demanded. “Why did you invite them up?”
“That was my majordomo. And his wife. His wife was a schizophrenic.”
“That was his wife?” She paused. “Oh, well, then it must have been NCR-40 autoimmune syndrome. Attention therapy deals with that really well now. She’ll be just fine.”
“Then he’ll be fine, too.”
“He looked all right, once he calmed down. Kind of good-looking, even.”
“I almost didn’t recognize him. I’d never seen him happy before.” Oscar paused. “You made him happy.”
“Well, maybe I get the credit.” She smiled. “I didn’t mean to make him happy. Science gets the credit for things science never meant to do. Science isn’t a better effort just because it sometimes helps humanity. But on the other hand, that must mean that science isn’t really any worse for causing mankind harm.”
“I’m not sure I follow you there. That’s not political thinking.”
She had a long sip of champagne. The men in the street were still yelling for her attention, but she regally ignored them. “Look at me,” she told him suddenly. She smoothed her feathered mask against her face with her long fingers. Within the owlish cowl of brown feathers, her eyes moved suddenly, in two different directions.
Oscar jumped. “Wow! How’d you do that?”
“I can do it now. I practiced. I can even see two things at once. Watch me.” Her eyes rolled in their white sockets, like a chameleon’s.
“Good God! You did that just by thinking about it?”
“It’s the life of the mind.”
“I can’t believe it. No, look at me again. Use both your eyes. Now use one eye. Good Lord, that’s the most shocking thing I’ve ever seen in a human face. The hair’s standing up on my neck. Do it for me again, sweetheart. My God! I’ve got to get a camera.”
“You’re not scared? I never showed anyone else.”
“Of course I’m scared! I’m petrified. It’s wonderful. Why am I the only guy in the world who knows how sexy that is?” He laughed delightedly. “You blew my mind! Come and kiss me.”
BRUCE STERLING is the author of the nonfiction book The Hacker Crackdown, as well as the novels Holy Fire, Heavy Weather, Schismatrix, and Islands in the Net. With William Gibson he co-authored the acclaimed novel The Difference Engine. He also writes popular science and travel journalism. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Austin, Texas.
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