But sweetheart has such a nice thing to it. [ and her bristling at the word just encourages him to use it a little bit more. he'll remember her name but will he use it? only time will tell. ]

Kovacs. [ he shrugs. ] What name would you have assigned me if I decided I didn't want to give it to you? Boris? Rudolph? Something very nasty and vulgar that would make my ear turn pink?

[ perish the thought. ]