"Harlan Ellison - Paladin of the Lost Hour" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ellison Harlan)

spend with her, talking to her, well, it gives me thefeeling we're still in touch. When I go, that's the end of
Minna. She'll be well and trulydead. We never had any children, almost everyone who knew us is gone,
no relatives. And wenever did anything important that anyone would put in a record book, so that's the
end ofus. For me, I don't mind; but I wish there was someone who knew about Minna . . .she was


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 Harlan Ellison - Paladin of the Lost Hour

aremarkable person."

So Billy said, "Tell me. I'll remember for you."

####

Memories in no particular order. Some as strong as ropes that could pull the oceanashore. Some that
shimmered and swayed in the faintest breeze like spiderwebs. The entireperson, all the little movements,
that dimple that appeared when she was amused atsomething foolish he had said. Their youth together,
their love, the procession of theirdays toward middle age. The small cheers and the pain of dreams never
realized. So muchabout him, as he spoke of her. His voice soft and warm and filled with a longing so
deepand true that he had to stop frequently because the words broke and would not come outtill he had
thought away some of the passion. He thought of her and was glad. He hadgathered her together, all her
dowry of love and taking care of him, her clothes and theway she wore them, her favorite knickknacks, a
few clever remarks: and he packed it all upand delivered it to a new repository.

The very old man gave Minna to Billy Kinetta for safekeeping.

####

Dawn had come. The light filtering in through the blinds was saffron. "Thank you,Dad," Billy said. He
could not name the feeling that had taken him hours earlier. Buthe said this: "I've never had to be
responsible for anything, or anyone, in my wholelife. I never belonged to anybody . . . I don't know why.
It didn't bother me, because Ididn't know any other way to be."

Then his position changed, there in the lounger. He sat up in a way that Gaspar thoughtwas important. As
if Billy were about to open the secret box buried at his center. AndBilly spoke so softly the old man had
to strain to hear him.

"I didn't even know him.

"We were defending the airfield at Danang. Did I tell you we were 1st Battalion,9th Marines? Charlie
was massing for a big push out of Quang Ngai province, south of us.Looked as if they were going to try
to take the provincial capital. My rifle company wasassigned to protect the perimeter. They kept sending
in patrols to bite us. Every day we'dlose some poor bastard who scratched his head when he shouldn't of.
It was June, late inJune, cold and a lot of rain. The foxholes were hip-deep in water.

"Flares first. Our howitzers started firing. Then the sky was full of tracers, andI started to turn toward the
bushes when I heard something coming, and these twomain-force regulars in dark blue uniforms came
toward me. I could see them so clearly.Long black hair. All crouched over. And they started firing. And
that goddam carbineseized up, wouldn't fire; and I pulled out the banana clip, tried to slap in another,