"Marina Fitch - Sarah at the Tide Pool" - читать интересную книгу автора (Fitch Marina)

тАЬNothing, Freda,тАЭ Sarah said, forcing a smile. тАЬJust talking to myself.тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩll be back next week,тАЭ Jason Whitcomb had said that first Sunday. Sarah
imagined Richard wielding a sledge hammer, shattering the aquarium and the
microscopes. Then she imagined him in a heap, his limbs partially eaten away by
acid. A chill satisfaction filled her, followed by an aching loneliness.

Sarah sets the hermit crab down carefully. It skitters toward the fissure,
scrambling over the top of the decorator crab. The larger crab raises its claws and
sidesteps in pursuit of the intruder.

тАЬSomeday youтАЩll get out of the tide pool,тАЭ Sarah tells the hermit crab. тАЬJust
donтАЩt get caught in another one.тАЭ

The following Sunday Sarah walked into the lab to find Jason Whitcomb
perched on the counter by the sink. тАЬBeen to ThievesтАЩ Point lately?тАЭ he asked.

Sarah looked away. тАЬYesterday.тАЭ
 тАЬAh, been thinking. And what have you decided?тАЭ

Sarah rubbed her temples to keep the headache at bay. тАЬWhy this? Why go to
all this trouble?тАЭ

Jason shrugged. тАЬBecause not only do we want to kill him, we want to
discredit his research. If he dies of some weird, mysterious neurotoxinтАФ one which,
incidentally, weтАЩll also use to contaminate his cultures тАФthe public will never trust
his nano-engineered skin.тАЭ

тАЬIf someone finds out about it.тАЭ

тАЬWeтАЩll make sure someone does.тАЭ He smiled at her. тАЬThe public loves a
mystery and the media loves to give it to them.тАЭ

The headache blinded Sarah momentarily. She closed her eyes. тАЬWouldnтАЩt it
be enough to destroy his lab?тАЭ

тАЬWe could leave him a vegetable.тАЭ

She opened her eyes. тАЬSo whatever I decide, Richard is dead.тАЭ

тАЬLooks that way.тАЭ Jason studied her. тАЬYou know, Dr. Huron, at your age itтАЩs
tough setting up a new lab with a new corporation . . . providing anyone hires you.
MediChem would never be able to recommend you, of course.тАЭ

He nodded thoughtfully, almost sadly. тАЬI met a man with a Ph.D. in
biochemistry the other day. He was working at a menтАЩs clothing store. Said he
couldnтАЩt get a research position. Tried for years. Dried up, bitter man.тАЭ

Sarah shuddered. тАЬI wouldnтАЩt have to wear the skin?тАЭ