Нейромант

           ArmitagehadbeenasortofeditedversionofCorto,andwhenthestressoftherunhadreachedacertainpoint,theArmitagemechanismhadcrumbled;Cortohadsurfaced,withhisguiltandhissickfury.AndnowCorto-Armitagewasdead,asmallfrozenmoonforFreeside.

           Hethoughtofthetoxinsacs.OldAshpoolwasdeadtoo,drilledthroughtheeyewithMolly’smicroscopicdart,deprivedofwhateverexpertoverdosehe’dmixedforhimself.Thatwasamorepuzzlingdeath,Ashpool’s,thedeathofamadking.Andhe’dkilledthepuppethe’dcalledhisdaughter,theonewith3Jane’sface.ItseemedtoCase,asherodeMolly’sbroadcastsensoryinputthroughthecorridorsofStraylight,thathe’dneverreallythoughtofanyonelikeAshpool,anyoneaspowerfulasheimaginedAshpoolhadbeen,ashuman.

           Power,inCase’sworld,meantcorporatepower.Thezaibatsus,themultinationalsthatshapedthecourseofhumanhistory,hadtranscendedoldbarriers.Viewedasorganisms,theyhadattainedakindofimmortality.Youcouldn’tkillazaibatsubyassassinatingadozenkeyexecutives;therewereotherswaitingtostepuptheladder,assumethevacatedposition,accessthevastbanksofcorporatememory.ButTessierAshpoolwasn’tlikethat,andhesensedthedifferenceinthedeathofitsfounder.T-Awasanatavism,aclan.Herememberedthelitteroftheoldman’schamber,thesoiledhumanityofit,theraggedspinesoftheoldaudiodisksintheirpapersleeves.Onefootbare,theotherinavelvetslipper.