Clear: A Transparent Novel. Nicola Barker

Чтение книги онлайн.

Читать онлайн книгу Clear: A Transparent Novel - Nicola Barker страница 16

Clear: A Transparent Novel - Nicola  Barker

Скачать книгу

she murmurs.

      ‘What is?’ I ask.

      ‘Article in the Guardian,’ Punk’s Not says, ‘about Blaine.’

      He proffers me the article. I take it and give it the once-over. ‘Oh yes,’ I say, recalling having read it a few days earlier (Wednesday? Thursday?), ‘I remember this…’

      In the article, a slightly sour pussy called Catherine Bennett holds scathingly forth about what a ridiculous ass the magician is, and how unspeakably proud she’s been rendered by our unstoppable British urge to ridicule and debunk him – our cocky, cockney lawlessness, our innate willingness to lampoon and pillory.

      Yip yip!

      I mean, that’s our Great fookin’ British Democratic right, to rip the damn piss, innit?

      Maybe Blaine (to paraphrase) might’ve got away with his pretentious pseudo-art rubbish in the US of A, but not here. Oh no. Not in good old Blighty, where we stands up proud and tall and we speaks our minds and we calls a spade a spade (then breaks it, in half, across our workmanlike knees).

      ‘Jew-hater,’ Punk’s Not opines, taking the article back off me and folding it up, carefully.

      ‘You think so?’ I ask (neatly maintained brows trimming my beautiful fringe in a fetching display of polite middle class alarm).

      ‘But of course,’ Punk’s Not scoffs, ‘what else?’

      I glance over briefly towards the Illusionist. He’s got the little window in his box open (did I mention the window before? A tiny, hinged square, cut into the plastic, which he can easily unlatch if he feels the sudden, overwhelming urge to shout something down to his disciples below). He’s currently up on his knees (looking unusually vital), gazing down and out of it at a small huddle of people in brightly coloured, semi-transparent costumes who suddenly strike up (gypsy-style) on five violins and play something cheerfully mundane, which would – by any kind of standard – render ‘lift music’ scintillating.

      ‘Catherine Bennett…,’ Punk’s Not quips, ‘if I’m not very much mistaken, being the famous heroine of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”.’

      (Note the dramatic emphasis.)

      Man. This kid’s good.

      ‘But it’s not Catherine, it’s Elizabeth.’

      Aphra – coincidentally – is paying no heed to our literary jousting. She is standing up and staring – in sheer wonderment – at the musical Didakais. The magician (meanwhile) has collapsed back down (at the start of their second number) and is looking a little wan again (maybe the music’s reminding him of all those lousy meals he’s had in poor quality Spanish restaurants over the years).

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgAAZABkAAD/7AARRHVja3kAAQAEAAAAPAAA/+4ADkFkb2JlAGTAAAAAAf/b AIQABgQEBAUEBgUFBgkGBQYJCwgGBggLDAoKCwoKDBAMDAwMDAwQDA4PEA8ODBMTFBQTExwbGxsc Hx8fHx8fHx8fHwEHBwcNDA0YEBAYGhURFRofHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8f Hx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8f/8AAEQgC+gH0AwERAAIRAQMRAf/EALgAAAEFAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAA AAIAAQMEBQYHCAEAAwEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQFBhAAAgEDAwMCBAIIBAQDBAQPAQIRACED MRIEQVEFYSJxgRMGkTKhscFCUiMUB/DRMxXhYnKC8UMkksKzFqKy0lNzNLQXg5NUCGPDRJQ1JicR AQEAAgEEAQIEBAQFBQEBAAABEQIhMUESAwRRYXEiMhPwgaEzkbEUBcHhQiNE0VJiNBVyJP/aAAwD AQACEQMRAD8A9dA2MEF1FyTXoS5cNSFyVLGx6UQjoFif3u1AiQ5VVba+velyrgUMRa7G6x0HWplP CFw20iJvb4VRfY+GARpJ/QPWiXKZMJ2MH2rCka0l2o8e0A72j+GdKVuehSccjBb2xoDYUYLI23Fv d1gCljCqZCEJE2p/cpTEDdYR2mnBToCUEn5UUDhQBIt0HekZGdNB0FBZLbABmZtHY0Xk4Q+mCJ/d vtBokFPO8DbY6iaIeDhJcKfiYpZLA8iJAb90W9aWToVUMbj2dqCh3UAgrG46CnkHGNjjJ79ulGTp BQo1NqAMXWCIX9lTTD9O7Rp/FR5FIcIMepkn9tGcqsOQQZB/8aMkL36En4mjJ4PFiQZoyWDreIMA 99adORJBU2OtqnJh0J/X2qiOACN0QBalkYgo2CQJM/AUjwX1iUA6nT50YLJSWHaLevzpng64wG7E WnpepoOZup9o9PSiUgsGsBF+lOUiU+7abxa1Onk5I3hR+eIikYciMAGubxApypweCYZrkUr1MW3c omwuY0p0jBCgPft6UcHydgAJaRPbWgGZhEge3tRggKXYhgNoGhp0GmVM/l9dTRgZLYcgLRA7UdKE gcbSANxHSkYVIIJ2xNitGMUpQ41AyGQCDoR1p2cFkwCsWQix1PpSwM8hbch2qds6Cq4Sdg4FrzUx WUcPtZnI3HQCqxyXYsftG0DXQDSneSxg4xkAnQkdNaWS8UZIA9wk6yelVgj7xt6aa/powbMFm796 oQSKtyxmelBF7Bc3oAiEA3T6+lKyqOCYkG3X50rCgASw3AyosCe3emqCQJvs0elJHcWRTtET8Ogv RL9VX7B/KYgTRZm5KXjkS73aQOmptApKOLtJb/jRegwJFKkvkmSbUdU4FJFxcm0GmYljrYmgH+oS T26UcDk4g9IB6Gp7q7EVEWOmoowIB0nRds6+sUFg6naCW1GgjSkrMpwT0NutFhQVnAAuNCPWjI6i DKqxq2kdKYwbIFkA3JEUSixKg/l+3TTaKVUFiR6kXIopHDHb7hft1jWkMiEkE2/bRQeV+n2jWaO5 jQhQq/OiiG2G5J1pwU+NAwHoDHalacOQzQCIZfxoyUFsab/4mkCZGmwkaE6U8ng+8AbCLHSlgpCR CV7TQdgym0GY9DSwZnAJB0HpTKmy71AIFhcUSkPHOrLSp4NtBNwbm0UwdVAmBA7iiiGn3m4Un5m1 LpAYghgDddTejIwZwS6kgAD90UsgXuLAD5D4VWQczuAJ17d6UFLIVQrIkmwPajAoAii7GQdT1mqy WOTDHJZbgG57UZGD7cQTS2k0rkBiIOnp6UgIBVWQdb1RYNuIQqBLP17DtShoyDEAwRIIH+dUkkTb 1nqbUZyMGc7mIiDFzrS6HkQvfSBTIOSAsR+a4+FMsgKnaCgO83jWgB2uTuJ0/VRcAOdTFgD+q/en rS2Ftb8v/LrFIMXc35Y61qgarAEtY60sqwkCKAY+ZqbsPE67fpTEjQGjuM8JNu5NYJ0FLPJhTbjs BI6DoKMH0FBtIGtiaPwGIPGSCNzXuYF/lR2EmKBRjLhwsuRqegpneh4a976UkFj2bjF41+NF6GMr uYFvlTMW/bIABPpSGTqrEXooGVA0Hu7UhDObWAt0owfJi+8wBEmjGCzk7o7iFEGkrqQVZ+FpppsE qsZmNoMClaeCGEofjJFGTkCgctAW83JpZKQZAnSTpRTFjXYsT6QKY5ONN0SRQKSnJ1HS8UYmQJWB 9sSerUjlMoEzremEomZNLgDibes9qXQwwdu1dOtAohe4ux1+VKjUYAMsbf50zyEsAsTK0SFaWNJF vxPei04LaTL9O1EI4KtYGaVOGIbtPQUyGfyaSO3QUGaDtmLx+WkKZLtEa9aMA7GWN4AsIpkEq7mz QetLJnYKSFn3USlgRVr6SBajBhGTaAsa9aeCyd4kAGx0qYZrbh2+F6qdCPkO2wFjqetICI9mkg9S aWTwgV0nat1Fvwq02jdAZboakI9pCrusdQOlUEgu0DU9OlIGGNdDqfzEfjTpSBOwBokGYBPxogpw qRvmR+i1KiRGM0sNwgTYCqwVprHIfQWNGCOPYCQIj1pHEeW6sYKsbCNYqhgDxtk2MC3eKJU0P1F/ L6U0scCSZ1Fp9a0wSWFHr3pHDloIHTrSxk7scElYCkKL9r0WyCCKuAANTe9LqfQaghbm/wDEbU7D OCXCkflAgUuhdQq43mTtHT/hQLTMgWXUk306/KnKNqkSGYAj41JzBZEhoS03Y0odEN157WqiwdIG ovQUSbyBA1HX41NVkaAka+42v0pHOQMsTBmYHpTgwZLGNW9dKISYkwLwB+m1Bo1KhyxG6emutTtS 1EdL2nSmBnoSZNIzMVV7fGO9OEdpkGAPQazRFUKgaXE6U7UxLDIo3aTSwZ9wm4t1pAjjAmRBbSKJ TsSEKIEQBf4UsnQ7GgkaCnkU4kjcRboKMg6kC5oI+wiwNzc9qDHuJgDSkD7U0PSjIwSre1lmYpGT yZUaHX4U8FDIFVtL9aVOJGU6ga9aUOgYMDGo1+FVCE8bYJ0j1NKCkVDDbp8fSjJEVVdLmP8AEUUy UqFboTrQAqjbyw0oCQAFTQQCqINxm1z1piBdQRItPSjIwLHjIIJMzoaKcCce97mQv4UZwWORPG7f qDb0FKGQULJAA7fOn1KkjASNJ70sjBnnaLAkfrplQLZoMibk6U+SNG3IWmFOlGTwdyzNAjaNZpYG QM5CwBAH4UXBcgUNBBIjWf2VRHW0toSaAjd/YEuxJuaeCJRfc1tARRRIThQsQSb/ACplgEr9OIG6 PzR+mlgMrbKSOhvWluE+I/3QIE0qeCYMSBFEIY+oJBiYg9qMKEQVKjUC5NSqgDMzSY2gyO1XlCXF kYMS35Y9tReTlApVjvyCQfx+VAkOCwBCAa/op/iZwGYGFPqTSokSAQBHTU9qBDqy7yTc0AQZZtc0 6INSpEkSRSpwgJExbW+tSAqAxMWI6+tPJydhCxuhikmjZAQYF+lCso29hCnroKfUpMCCtI3EL69a VVkiF3XuBQQtoQlzF9F9KQwKN1wL0dBg4xspk3nrRaMERNmNhp60wfcVFxPwqbyeRLN9Z6fPtQY5 HYQbXogotVmZGlI+xAC8mDTGTgAT+2gj+0jT5UA8T6daXQyG2QOp60ASbRrr07XowCIPS5Palk8H VRbrTImPX006UsGZGIa9xRgsEuOWtrrToLMJgHpcxRASiWXWaLQOE3S1gO2s0jKNzblEINB3+NAC oMkKI7UEO0kEWGsdaYwREx7do/xelTBkkGLkHWKchU5Q7ZUR3oAcjSuz8fSiF

Скачать книгу