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chasing butterflies through the briar patches, getting covered in petals.
Shit! Beetle had stroked the robodog too, a feather inside a dog's mouth. No
matter. We were all there, having a good time. Knowledge was seeping from the
flowers, like the breath of pollen. The Beetle raised his hand, waved at me,
lazy-like, and I answered him the same. The world was blissful. I was falling
into a haze of peace and it took all that I had just to keep from drifting
away. I was looking for the gardeners. The ones Desdemona and I had joined the
last time. Or the bird in the trees. But the garden was empty. Just us Stash
Riders in there, wandering amongst the flowers.
The garden was empty.
It didn't feel right.
"Beetle!" I called. He turned his slow face to me, smiling. "There's something
wrong," I
said to him. Beetle just smiled.
"Everything's dandy, Scribb," he answered, with a soft voice. He clutched
Mandy closer to him, revelling in her feel. It didn't feel right, somehow.
A movement in the grass, down at my feet. Maybe it was the yellow bird,
searching for
food. I looked down.
A violet and green slithering there, amongst the grasses and the stalks.
Dreamsnake!
Even in the garden of bliss, those slimy creatures find a way through.
Stepping back. . .
"Beetle!"
Too late.
The snake rising up from the grass, filling the garden with his whiplash body.
Snake-eyes staring at me.
Oh shit!
How did that get in here?
"Beetle!" I shouted. There's a Viper in here! Feather's not real. It's a
pirate!"
Beetle was too far gone to care. And the snake was laughing at me.
THERE'S SOME VIPER IN YOUR SYSTEM, LITTLE ONE.
"What's happening?" I asked.
Viper was Viral Implant; germs in the Vurt system; ways to make you suffer.
YOU'RE INSIDE A THEATRE. IT'S CALLED ENGLISH VOODOO. IT'S A PIRATE
KNOWLEDGE VURT. TOTALLY ILLEGAL. NONE OF THIS IS REAL
"What?"
"It's worse than real. You're under arrest, kid. That real enough for you?"
I pulled away from that vicious face, looking for the Beetle and Mandy, and
Twinkle and
Karli. All I saw were four wavering shapes, as they jerked out together, and
then I was following them, jerking back, and the garden fading to a patch of
weed blackness. . .
The shecop Murdoch was smiling down at me. Her dumbfuck partner was standing
two feet off, near the bathroom door, obscuring my Madonna poster. A shadowcop
was writhing around the room-space, straight out of the garden, a violet and
green undulation. The partner was broadcasting the shadow from a portable unit
and the snake was beaming onto us. Never seen one like this before. It was the
snake from the garden; he had followed us through into the real world.
Snake must have some Vurt in him -- robo, shadow, Vurt -- all mixed up in a
five-foot length of thick smoke, eyes of orange flashing inpho all over us,
and a voice of yellow slitherings:
WE HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS AN ILLEGAL GAMEPLAY.
"No. I. . . it's. . . it's just. . ."
I was back in my favorite armchair, struggling with the words. I just couldn't
find the right ones.
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PLEASE EXPLAIN THE VEHICLE IN THE FORECOURT.
I couldn't explain. Couldn't move. Couldn't raise a finger in battle.
PLEASE EXPLAIN THE VIOLATION.
"I. . . I can't."
My lips were the only moving parts, and then only just I was mumbling excuses,
weak excuses.
Mandy and the Beetle were lying on the settee together, all wrapped up from
the garden still. I could see their bodies were still jerking from the dream,
but they weren't showing their faces. The young girl, Twinkle, was standing by
the fire, her eyes full of life. She had Murdoch in her sights.
Don't try it, kid. She'll just beat you to a pulp.
Karli the robodog was by Twinkle's side, the plastic bones shaking under her
fur.
SAID VEHICLE IS NOT REGISTERED IN YOUR NAME.
Twinkle started to move forwards, towards the shecop.
ALSO SUSPECTED PURCHASE AND USE OF VARIOUS OTHER ILLEGAL
SUBSTANCES, AS FOLLOWS. . .
"That's enough, Shaka," said Murdoch.
These things had names!? These smoky wraiths? I never knew that.
THEY ARE ENTITLED TO THEIR RIGHTS, AS STATED UNDER DECREE FIVE.
"Of course they are," replied Murdoch. "It's just that I'm taking over."
Twinkle was two feet away from Murdoch. Beetle and Mandy were still in a close
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