"Nicola Griffith - Ammonite" - читать интересную книгу автора (Griffith Nicola)

on this, there was no turning back, Marghe tapped out the memorized sequence.
RAISE ARMS, RAISE CHIN, STAND WITH FEET APART. Marghe did,
BLANK VISOR FOR FIFTEEN SECONDS, COMMENCING. Even through her
darkened visor and closed eyes, she sensed the flare as the chamber was flooded
with radiation.
EXTERIOR DECONTAMINATION COMPLETE. LOCK GOVERNANCE
RETURNED TO INTERIOR CONTROL.
Marghe cleared her visor, opened her eyes, blinked away the dancing green spots.
Hiam was still in the window, watching. Then, suddenly, she was gone.
Marghe watched the blank window for a moment, then took a deep breath and
turned to the second door, the second panel with its red light. She reached out to
input the sequence that would open it, that would enable her to take that last step
over the sill that marked the boundary between what was understood and controlled
and what was dangerous.
тАЬMarghe, wait.тАЭ
Marghe whirled, forgetting the two-thirds gravity. Hiam was back at the
observation window, headset at one ear. Marghe had to breathe slowly, in and out,
before she could speak. тАЬWhat?тАЭ
тАЬTurn on your suit comm.тАЭ
Marghe tongued the channel on. тАЬWhatтАЩs wrong? What haveтАФтАЭ
тАЬNothing.тАЭ Over the closed channel, HiamтАЩs voice was quiet, intimate. No longer
the doctor. тАЬThis is off the record.тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩtтАФтАЭ
тАЬJust listen. All those things I said before, about isolation, about spending time
somewhere unspecified before going homeтАж thatтАЩs not what really happens.тАЭ
Marghe listened to her heart kicking under her ribs. She breathed, seeking calm.
Never refuse information, her mother had taught her when she was just six years
old, you never know what you might need. But her mother was dead. She managed
a Go on gesture.
тАЬIf you leave the airlock, if you take the vaccine, youтАЩll never go home. Not ever.
I had aтАж a good friend. On the planet. Was one of the initial batch taken off Jeep
for study. She promised to be in touch. I think someone else wrote her mail.тАЭ
тАЬHow could you tell?тАЭ
тАЬIt felt all wrong.тАЭ
тАЬIf sheтАЩd been illтАФтАЭ
тАЬNo. Just listen. It seemed fine at first. I assumed she just wasnтАЩt feeling good.
DeconтАЩs not pleasant. Anyway, I didnтАЩt pay close attention. But once when I wrote
back I put in a private joke weтАЩd shared for a long time. A very long time. When I
got her response, I knew. It wasnтАЩt her.тАЭ
Marghe said nothing. She wished she had just taken that last step, not listened to
HiamтАФthis new Hiam. The real one?
Hiam watched Marghe intently, then laughed, a short, hard bark. тАЬYou donтАЩt
believe me.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩm wondering why you didnтАЩt tell me this before. Why you let me get this far.тАЭ
Hiam stepped right up to the glass, close enough for Marghe to see the pleats of
her irises. тАЬBecause I couldnтАЩt decide whether to trust you. But, MargheтАж this is
real, and somebody has to know. I canтАЩt prove any of it, but that doesnтАЩt mean itтАЩs
not happening. You seemedтАж I just thoughtтАжтАЭShe laughed again. тАЬI should have
saved my breath.тАЭ
 Marghe did not know what to say. тАЬYou and Sigrid and Nyo have all been up