（外文电子版资料）Pat Cadigan - Angel.pdf

ANGEL By Pat Cadigan [05 feb 2001 – scanned for #bookz, proofread and released – v1] I dont know whether the author would call this a cyberpunk story or not, but in any case, it is fascinating, unusual, and perhaps even inspirational. Stand with me awhile, Angel, I said, and Angel said hed do that. Angel was good to me that way, good to have with you on a cold night and nowhere to go. We stood on the street corner together and watched the cars going by and the people and all. The streets were lit up like Christmas, streetlights, store lights, marquees over the all-night movie houses and bookstores blinking and flashing; shank of the evening in east midtown. Angel was getting used to things here and getting used to how I did, nights. Standing outside, because what else are you going to do. He was my Angel now, had been since that other cold night when Id been going home, because where are you going to go, and Id found him and took him with me. Its good to have someone to take with you, someone to look after. Angel knew that. He started looking after me, too. Like now. We were standing there awhile and I was looking around at nothing and everything, the cars cruising past, some of them stopping now and again for the hookers posing by the curb, and then I saw it, out of the corner of my eye. Stuff coming out of the Angel, shiny like sparks but flowing like liquid. Silver fireworks. I turned and looked all the way at him and it was gone. And he turned and gave a little grin like he was embarrassed Id seen. Nobody else saw it, though; not the short guy who paused next to the Angel before crossing the street against the light, not the skinny hippy looking to sell the boom-box he was carrying on his shoulder, not the homeboy strutting past us with both his girlfriends on his arms, nobody but me. The Angel said, Hungry? Sure, I said. Im hungry. Angel looked past me. Okay, he said. I looked, too, and here they came, three leather boys, vis