"Samuel R. Delany - Corona" - читать интересную книгу автора (Delaney Samuel R)

"It's all right," he whispered, uncomprehending, and rubbed her rough
hair. Then, as she shook in his arms, understanding swelled. "You came
... down here to wake me up?" he asked.

She nodded against his pajama jacket.

"Why?"

She shrugged against his belly. "I ... I don't ... maybe the music."

After a moment he asked, "Is this the first time you ever done
something about what you heard?"

"It's not the first time I ever tried. But it's the first time it ever ...
worked."

"Then why did you try again?"

"Because ..." She was stiller now. "... I hoped maybe it would hurt less
if I could get-through." He felt her jaw moving as she spoke. "It does."
Something in her face began to quiver. "It does hurt less." He put his
hand on her hand, and she took his thumb.


"You knew I was ... was awful scared?"

She nodded. "I knew, so I was scared just the same."

Buddy remembered the dream. The back of his neck grew cold, and the
flesh under his thighs began to tingle. He remembered the reality
behind the dream-and held her more tightly and pressed his cheek to
her hair. "Thank you." He couldn't say it any other way, but it didn't
seem enough. So he said it again more slowly. "Thank you."

A little later she pushed away, and he watched her sniffling face with
depthless vision.

"Do you like the song?"

He blinked. And realized the insistent music still worked through his
head. "You can-hear what I'm thinking again?"

"No. But you were thinking about it before. I just wanted to find out."

Buddy thought awhile. "Yeah." He cocked his head. "Yeah. I like it a
lot. It makes me feel ... good."

She hesitated, then let out: "Me too! I think it's beautiful. I think Faust's
music is so," and she whispered the next word as though it might
offend, "alive! But with life the way it should be. Not without pain, but