"Jack Dann - A Quiet Revolution for Death" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dann Jack)

As Roger watches children playing bury-me-not and hide-and-seek
between the tombstone teeth of the cemetery, he thinks that surely his son
Bennie must be in their midst. Bennie might be anywhere: taking a tour
through the ossuarium, lighting fires on the lawns, screwing little girls, or
dancing for another dinner.
тАЬWe should not have permitted Bennie to leave in the first place,тАЭ
Sandra says to Roger. тАЬHeтАЩs probably in some kind of trouble.тАЭ She pauses,
then says, тАЬWell, IтАЩm going to go and look for him.тАЭ Another pause. тАЬWhat
are you going to do?тАЭ
тАЬSomeone has to remain with the children,тАЭ Roger says. тАЬIтАЩm sure
Bennie is fine. HeтАЩll probably be back.тАЭ
 Sandra, of course, rushes off in a huff. But thatтАЩs to be expected, Roger
tells himself. Bennie was right: she is perverse. After a few deep breaths,
Roger forgets her. He stretches out on the cool grass, looks up at the old
maple trees that appear to touch the robinтАЩs-egg sky, and he feels the
touch of GodтАЩs thoughts. He yawns. This bounty of food, fresh air, and
inspiration has worn him out. He listens to the children and dreams of
tractors.
A fusillade echoes through the cemetery.
тАЬDaddy, whatтАЩs that noise?тАЭ asks Rose Marie.
тАЬThe children are probably shooting guns,тАЭ Roger says. He opens his
eyes, then closes them.
тАЬWhy are they shooting guns?тАЭ
тАЬTo show everyone that death must be joyous,тАЭ Roger says. But he canтАЩt
quite climb out of his well of sleep. He falls through thermoclines of sleep
and dreams of tractors rolling over tombstones and children and trees.



тАЬWhen is Mommy coming back?тАЭ asks Rose Marie.
тАЬWhen she finds Bennie,тАЭ Roger says, and he buttons the collar of his
shirt. There is a slight chill to the air.
тАЬWhen will that be?тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt know,тАЭ Roger says. тАЬSoon, I hope.тАЭ He watches the rosy sunset.
The western mountains are purple, and Roger imagines that rainbows are
leaking into the liquid blue sky.
Another fusillade echoes through the cemetery.
тАЬMaybe Mommy was shot,тАЭ Rose Marie says in a hushed tone.
тАЬMaybe,тАЭ Roger replies.
тАЬMaybe sheтАЩs dead,тАЭ says Rose Marie, smoothing out her dress, then
making cabbage folds.
тАЬIs that so bad?тАЭ Roger asks. тАЬYou must learn to accept death as an
ally. If Mommy doesnтАЩt come back, it will teach you a lesson.тАЭ
тАЬI want to ride on the Ferris wheel,тАЭ Samson says. тАЬYou promised.тАЭ
тАЬIf Mommy doesnтАЩt return soon, weтАЩll go for a ride,тАЭ Roger says,
admiring the cemetery. Even at dusk, in this shadow-time, Chastellain
Cemetery is still beautiful, he tells himself. It is a proud old virgin, but
soon it will become a midnight whore. It will become a carnival. It will be
Ferris wheels and rides and lights and candlelight processions.
Lying back in the grass, Roger searches for the first evening stars.