"Samuel R. Delany - The Fall Of The Towers 3 - City Of A Thousand Suns" - читать интересную книгу автора (Delaney Samuel R)

His years on the streets of the DevilтАЩs Pot had made Vol an accurate street fighter. It had also taught him
that if the situation is hopeless you save your strength in case the miracle thatтАЩll get you out of it happens,
and you can use that strength to recover. And it was hopeless.

So at first when Jeof walked towards her, and she cried out, he only stood. But then the cry turned into a
long, steady scream. Suddenly Vol was screaming too, and fighting, and their voices had lost all music
and become dissonant and agonized. He fought, and nearly killed one of the men who held him, but there
were three others around him who broke four of his ribs, dislocated his shoulder, and smashed in one
side of his jaw.

тАЬNo,тАЭ said Jeof, making a calming gesture with his handтАФthere was blood on his hand, and she couldnтАЩt
scream now because the cartilages of her larynx were crushed, тАЬDonтАЩt kill him. I just want him to watch
what we do to her.тАЭ He looked around. тАЬOne of you guys come over here and help me now.тАЭ They used
their hands, then their whole bodies, and then the double gleam of a fire-blade came from a hidden
scabbard, the bottom on the hilt was flicked, and white sparks glittered up the double prongs.

A minute after that, mercifully, Vol lost consciousness. They couldnтАЩt even beat him awake. So they left.



Half an hour later Rara, the woman who ran the boarding-house, got up enough courage to look into the
room. When she saw the naked man crumpled in front of the table she said, тАЬGood Lord,тАЭ and stepped
inside. Then, when she saw what was left on the bed, she couldnтАЩt say anything, and just stepped
backwards with her hand over her mouth.

The manтАЩs hand moved on the grimy floorboards. тАЬOh, my good Lord,тАЭ she whispered. тАЬHeтАЩs alive.тАЭ
She ran towards him, beating out of her mind a picture of the two of them together as she had seen them
even yesterday (drinking from the same tin cup at the downstairs sink, walking with loosely coupled
fingers, laughing at each otherтАЩs eyes). She kneeled over him, and his hand moved to her foot.

Got to get him out of here before he wakes up, she thought, and tried to lift him up.

Vol was at the point now in drifting unconsciousness where the pain of his cracked ribs jabbing at his lung
was enough to wake him. He opened his eyes, and looked blankly at the face of the woman bending
over him. It was a strong face, though the other side of fifty. A brown-red birthmark sprawled over her
left cheek. тАЬRara?тАЭ he spoke her name with just a hint of inflection, and the bruised jaw, swelling now,
kept all expression out of his face.

тАЬMr Nonik,тАЭ she said. тАЬCome with me, wonтАЩt you?тАЭ

He looked away, and when his eyes reached the bed he stopped.

тАЬDonтАЩt, Mr Nonik,тАЭ Rara said. тАЬCome with me.тАЭ

He let her raise him to his feet and walked with her to the hall, despite his agonized arm, despite the fire
on the right side of his chest.

Rara saw the limp and recognized the impossible angle at which his arm hung. тАЬWell,тАЭ she began, тАЬweтАЩre
going to have to get you to General Medical pretty quickтАжтАЭ