"Tony Daniel - Robot's Twilight Companion" - читать интересную книгу автора (Daniel Tony)

but halfheartedlyтАФmore of a swatтАФand then sat down across the table from him.
тАЬDobrovnik interfaxed in yesterday, full virtual,тАЭ she said.

Dobrovnik was a partner in NellтАЩs firm. He had given up his own design work to serve as principal agent
and negotiator for the other partnersтАФmost importantly, Nell.

тАЬThat must have been incredibly expensive,тАЭ Henry replied, still a little blank from having been yanked
out of the poem. тАЬIt must have been important?тАЭ

тАЬYes. IтАЩve been offered a wonderful project.тАЭ

тАЬReally?тАЭ

тАЬReallywonderful.тАЭ

тАЬThatтАЩs great.тАЭ

Nell slumped, and looked around the room. Henry was not used to such odd body language from her.
He forced thoughts of thorns and briars from his mind, and concentrated.

тАЬSo,тАЭ he said. тАЬYou arenтАЩt going to be able to go to San Francisco? Is that it?тАЭ

тАЬThatтАЩs part of it.тАЭ

Something else, but Nell was being very quiet. тАЬNell, you know I support you completely.тАЭ

тАЬI know, Henry.тАЭ She sobbed.Nell sobbed. тАЬMy Henry.тАЭ

тАЬNell, what is it?тАЭ

тАЬThe Subcommittee on Exploration has approved my proposal for a lunar colony.тАЭ

тАЬThe United Nations General Assembly?тАЭ Nell nodded. тАЬNell, thatтАЩs amazing news!тАЭ

And she was crying. Henry was entirely nonplussed.

тАЬI have to go,тАЭ Nell said. тАЬI have to go to the moon for five years. Maybe longer.тАЭ

Henry stood up, sat down. San Francisco. He pictured San FranciscoтАЩs gardens and fogs, its graceful
spans and temperate clime. But fog. And more fog, like dead vines.Un dead vines. Covering, obscuring,
eating the city away, fog, until there was nothing, nothing but depthless gray.

тАЬYou can come, Henry. That would all be part of the arrangement. TheyтАЩll pay your way, and more.тАЭ

тАЬTo the moon?тАЭ

тАЬYes.тАЭ

All he could picture was a blank. A blank expanse.