"Kelley Eskridge - Strings" - читать интересную книгу автора (Eskridge Kelly)

тАЬOf course. I just told youтАжтАЭ

тАЬNo,тАЭ he said quietly. тАЬCan I talk to you?тАЭ

The rich yellow taste of the tea seeped through her. She felt transparent and
warm, caught between the sun and the tea and the young man who wore his music
like skin.

тАЬYes. You can talk to me.тАЭ

He let out a long breath. Everything was still for a moment. The cricket began
to play again.

тАЬIt was awful at the disciplinary committee,тАЭ he said, as abruptly and
comfortably as if they had known each other for years. тАЬThey would have dismissed
me if they could. There was an old man with long gray hair who made me take the
phrase note by note to prove that I knew how to play it. He wanted me to repeat
what I had done during the rehearsal that made the Conductor charge me.тАЭ

тАЬBoethius.тАЭ Strad nodded. The Piano looked at her. тАЬHeтАЩs the Master
Librarian,тАЭ she explained. His eyes widened and then closed for a moment.
 тАЬI suppose he does all the notation of the scores as well.тАЭ

тАЬMmm,тАЭ Strad agreed. тАЬHe doesnтАЩt like having his toes stepped on.тАЭ

тАЬWell, at least now I know why heтАжhe really scared me. IтАЩll never be able to
play that piece again without freezing up at that movement.тАЭ He grinned at her.
тАЬDonтАЩt say it: I know IтАЩm lucky to even be able to think about playing the piece
again at all.тАЭ His smile faded. He took a gulp of tea, swallowed, studied the inside of
the cup. Strad stayed still, watching him.

He looked up after a while, up and beyond her into the empty field.

тАЬI never improvised half as much in the music as I did in that room.тАЭ He was
silent for a moment, remembering. His fingers twitched.

тАЬYou know I did it, donтАЩt you.тАЭ It was not a question.

She nodded.

тАЬThought so. Some of my friends in there тАФтАЭ he looked at the hall тАФтАЭdonтАЩt
believe I could have done it. They wouldnтАЩt understand. They justтАжthey play what
theyтАЩre told, and they seem happy, but thatтАЩs not music. ItтАЩs not,тАЭ he said again,
defiantly. His cheeks were red, and his voice shook. тАЬSo how can they be happy?тАЭ
He swallowed, took a deep breath. тАЬMaybe they arenтАЩt. Maybe theyтАЩre just making
do the best they can. I can almost understand that now, you know, after the
hearingтАжI wish that cricket would just shut up.тАЭ He picked up a piece of gravel
from the edge of the dock and threw it out into the field.тАЭ The cricket fiddling
stopped. тАЬWhatтАЩs it like, being an Instrument?тАЭ