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.
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 embrace, still shivering but coming down, slowly, ever so slowly.
ALSO SUSPECTED HARBOURING OF A VURT ALIEN. A LIVE DRUG. DECREE FIFTEEN QUITE PLAINLY STATES --
"Okay!" shouted Murdoch. "This is my score. I'm bringing you down for this. Harbouring, possession, bootlegging. The whole shit. You're getting it." She pulled a
flame gun from her waist band.
The chair was clutching at me, and I could still feel the garden's touch on my fingers.
"Game over. Partner, cuff them."
The fleshcop started to move, wallowing side to side under his fat middle.
Mandy had awoken now, and was rolling over towards the action. Her eyes were fear- shot. The Beetle wasn't moving. Not yet. He was all folded up on the settee, shaking from the jerkout and Vurtlag.
"Out of the way, girl," said Murdoch, not even looking at Mandy as she said it. Mandy got up off the settee, cool and deadly. Murdoch had the gun pointed straight at the Beetle's head. "Okay, boss man, this is your alarm call."
Beetle didn't move.
Me neither. Felt like time was slowing down, and I was just a caught fly in its embrace, wings in honey.
THIS IS NOT THE STANDARD PROCEDURE said the shadowcop. "You want to file a complaint, Shaka?"
NO, MA'AM. I DO NOT.
Karli and Twinkle made a move towards Murdoch. The dog's paws were scratching at the carpet.
"Call them off, little boy. You know it's the end."
I tried to, but my lips were parched and stuck, and my tongue was dead. Twinkle and the dog were inches away
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.
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 embrace, still shivering but coming down, slowly, ever so slowly.
ALSO SUSPECTED HARBOURING OF A VURT ALIEN. A LIVE DRUG. DECREE FIFTEEN QUITE PLAINLY STATES --
"Okay!" shouted Murdoch. "This is my score. I'm bringing you down for this. Harbouring, possession, bootlegging. The whole shit. You're getting it." She pulled a
flame gun from her waist band.
The chair was clutching at me, and I could still feel the garden's touch on my fingers.
"Game over. Partner, cuff them."
The fleshcop started to move, wallowing side to side under his fat middle.
Mandy had awoken now, and was rolling over towards the action. Her eyes were fear- shot. The Beetle wasn't moving. Not yet. He was all folded up on the settee, shaking from the jerkout and Vurtlag.
"Out of the way, girl," said Murdoch, not even looking at Mandy as she said it. Mandy got up off the settee, cool and deadly. Murdoch had the gun pointed straight at the Beetle's head. "Okay, boss man, this is your alarm call."
Beetle didn't move.
Me neither. Felt like time was slowing down, and I was just a caught fly in its embrace, wings in honey.
THIS IS NOT THE STANDARD PROCEDURE said the shadowcop. "You want to file a complaint, Shaka?"
NO, MA'AM. I DO NOT.
Karli and Twinkle made a move towards Murdoch. The dog's paws were scratching at the carpet.
"Call them off, little boy. You know it's the end."
I tried to, but my lips were parched and stuck, and my tongue was dead. Twinkle and the dog were inches away
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