• Complain

Walter Williams - The Picture Business

Here you can read online Walter Williams - The Picture Business full text of the book (entire story) in english for free. Download pdf and epub, get meaning, cover and reviews about this ebook. year: 1998, publisher: Dell Magazines, genre: Science fiction. Description of the work, (preface) as well as reviews are available. Best literature library LitArk.com created for fans of good reading and offers a wide selection of genres:

Romance novel Science fiction Adventure Detective Science History Home and family Prose Art Politics Computer Non-fiction Religion Business Children Humor

Choose a favorite category and find really read worthwhile books. Enjoy immersion in the world of imagination, feel the emotions of the characters or learn something new for yourself, make an fascinating discovery.

Walter Williams The Picture Business

The Picture Business: summary, description and annotation

We offer to read an annotation, description, summary or preface (depends on what the author of the book "The Picture Business" wrote himself). If you haven't found the necessary information about the book — write in the comments, we will try to find it.

Walter Jon Williams lives in rural New Mexico, a fact that compels me to perpetual war with mosquito and tumbleweed, and to lengthy disquisitions on the merits and failings of my tractor, the name of which is Beam. One of the authors most recent short stories for Foreign Devils (January 1996), won the 1996 Sidewise Alternate History Award for Best Short Form.

Walter Williams: author's other books


Who wrote The Picture Business? Find out the surname, the name of the author of the book and a list of all author's works by series.

The Picture Business — read online for free the complete book (whole text) full work

Below is the text of the book, divided by pages. System saving the place of the last page read, allows you to conveniently read the book "The Picture Business" online for free, without having to search again every time where you left off. Put a bookmark, and you can go to the page where you finished reading at any time.

Light

Font size:

Reset

Interval:

Bookmark:

Make

The Picture Business

by Walter Jon Williams

Illustration by Laurie Harden Norton had both a gambling problem and a - photo 1

Illustration by Laurie Harden

Norton had both a gambling problem and a communications problem. The communications problem consisted mainly of Nortons not listening when Helio told him about his debt problem. Finally Helio sent for Paulie.

I want you to solve Nortons problem for me, he said, which Paulie did.

After Paulie dumped the body in a place he knew about on Saddle Peak, he returned to Nortons home in Topanga Canyon to make sure he hadnt accidentally left anything behind. He hadnt, but he liked the house, which was spacious and filled with hght and had a beautiful view of Saddle Peak, where Norton was resting forever with all his problems solved for him, so Paulie sat down at Nortons computer, logged on, and did a little credit check.

He found out that Norton owned the place free and clear, having bought it with the profits when his parents, who owned a cheese farm or something in Wisconsin, had died in a boating accident. So Paulie packed all of Nortons personal stuff into cardboard boxes and heaved it off the redwood deck into the canyon below, and moved his own belongings from his apartment in Glendale. He changed the phone number and the locks, and told the post office that Nortons new address was Post Restante, Paris, France. He sold Nortons cars and motorbike to a guy that he knew in West Hollywood. When the gardener and maid came by, Paulie told them he was the new tenant, and hed be paying them from now on.

In Nortons office he saw the big mediatron console, the Digital DEC M5 with its three huge screens, but he ignored it. It was too big to toss off the deck, and besides it might be worth money if he could find someone to sell it to.

Not a single person ever came looking for Norton. Thats how popular Norton was.

Paulie liked to be alone after orgasm. He liked just to He there for several minutes with his eyes closed, and listen to the sound of his heartbeat as it returned to normal, watch little patches of phosphor light drift on the backs of his eyelids.

Women never seemed to desire this as much as Paulie did. Women liked to be cuddled and petted after sex, or they wanted to talk. Paulie hated talk after sex, he just wanted to float and be alone with himself. So Paulie usually preferred to have sex with women who wanted to leave afterward, because they had to go have sex with someone else.

Paulie knew that the escort service he used in Glendale was going to charge him an arm and a leg for driving all the way out past the Valley, so he looked in the yellow pages for a local service, and called the one in Malibu.

Welcome to Gentlemans Paradise, said a staccato female voice. If you have a push-button phone, press 1 now.

Paulie pressed one, and the voice continued.

If you would like a Model, press 1, the voice said. If you would like an Actress-Model, press 2. If you would like a Supermodel, press 3.

Paulie pressed 1. He knew they were all the same women, but if they had a fancier title they charged more.

If you want a Latin Lovely, press 1. If you want a Sensational Swede, press 2. If you want a Black Beauty, press 3. If you want a Gorgeous Geisha, press 4.

Paulie wondered what happened if you wanted a white girl who didnt happen to be Swedish, but he pressed 2 anyway.

If you want a blonde, press 1. If you want a brunette, press 2. If you want a redhead, press 3.

Paulie pressed 3. He knew the answer didnt matter. He was only picking the color of the wig the woman would 9how up in.

If you have special needs, the voice chattered on, such as French, Greek, two women, or golden showers, please press 1. If you have age requirements, such as Lovely Lolita, Cheerleader, College Girl, or Matronly Vixen, press

Paulie hung up. After a few seconds, he called the number again and refused to press anything. Eventually a male voice answered.

Yeah? he said.

Listen, Paulie said. I want a white girl. For straight sex. Redhead. Not so young she pops gum in my ear the whole time, not so old she reminds me of my mother. Thats all I want. Got it?

There was a long silence, and then the man said, Ill send you Gloria.

Fine, Paulie said.

I think shes just your type.

And what, Paulie wondered, did that mean?

Gloria was maybe thirty and had a nice woman-shaped body, generous hips and tight abs, and an unhurried manner. Paulie appreciated this last: he didnt like it when a woman tried to rush him through it, like she was anxious to just punch the clock and leave. He didnt like to be hurried, not when he was paying two hundred and fifty bucks in advance.

And, he was sort of surprised to discover, she was a real redhead, and not wearing a wig.

He told her that after he was finished, she should just get dressed and leave.

You got it, big man, she said.

He lay alone in bed afterward, floating, while Gloria went into the bathroom. As he slowly rose to consciousness, he became aware of Glorias voice coming from another part of the house. Paulie put on a bathrobe and followed the sound of the voice to the office, where he found Gloria standing next to the Digital while she talked on a cellphone.

You sure you cant get free? Her voice was soft, suggestive. She rested a hip against the mediatron while she raised her foot and pulled on a shoe. Just for a few minutes? Apparently the answer was negative, because she pressed on with a more straightforward proposition, still in that soft, suggestive voice.

I know youve got company, but if you could get away, we could meet at the Circle K, and I could give you a B.J. in the back seat.

Apparently the answer was still no, because Gloria said goodbye, then hung up.

Looking for some business, huh? Paulie said.

Gloria dropped her seductive tone to answer, and spoke in a normal voice.

Hes pretty regular, usually, but tonight his nephew is visiting with his family.

Gloria paged through a digital appointment book, poking repeatedly at the plus key with her thumb. I dont have any dates till my 10:30. She held the speed dialer to the receiver and pressed another button. Paulie heard the book make blipping sounds into the phone handset, and then Paulie heard a dial tone.

She held the handset slightly away from her ear so that Paulie could hear a womans voice answering. Gloria gave Paulie a meaningful look, then spoke in a brisk, businesslike voice.

This is Mr. Steinbergs secretary. Is Mr. Mason available to speak to Mr. Steinberg?

Mr. Mason was. As soon as he answered, Glorias voice turned soft and seductive again.

This is your lucky night, sugar, she said. Here I am in Topanga Canyon with nothing to do but make you happy.

While Gloria worked out the details, Paulie went back to the bedroom and pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. He returned to the office to find Gloria hopping into her other shoe.

I knew they called it hustling, Paulie said, but till now I never knew why.

Time is money, said Gloria. She glanced around the office.

Are you in the business? she asked.

Paulie looked at her. The business?

The picture business. I figured you might be, because youve got the, you know, the mediatron.

No. Im sort of between jobs right now.

Gloria pulled on her grey jacket and fluffed the lace around her throat. She wore a conservative business suit to meet her customers, camouflage for hotels and residential neighborhoods. She wore more provocative stuff underneath. She buttoned the jacket, then swung her big shoulder bag onto one lapel. Shall I call you next time Im in the neighborhood?

If you like.

Next page
Light

Font size:

Reset

Interval:

Bookmark:

Make

Similar books «The Picture Business»

Look at similar books to The Picture Business. We have selected literature similar in name and meaning in the hope of providing readers with more options to find new, interesting, not yet read works.


Walter Williams - No Spot of Ground
No Spot of Ground
Walter Williams
Walter Williams - The Rift
The Rift
Walter Williams
No cover
No cover
Walter Williams
No cover
No cover
Walter Williams
No cover
No cover
Walter Williams
No cover
No cover
Walter Williams
No cover
No cover
Walter Williams
No cover
No cover
Walter Williams
Reviews about «The Picture Business»

Discussion, reviews of the book The Picture Business and just readers' own opinions. Leave your comments, write what you think about the work, its meaning or the main characters. Specify what exactly you liked and what you didn't like, and why you think so.