"James E. Gunn - The Burning" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gunn James E)

alive. I thought---you and Mark---тАЭ His voice trailed away into silence; the silence drew out painfully.

Emily took a breath; it rasped in the phone. тАЬIтАЩm sorry, John. We canтАЩt. YouтАЩll have to try somewhere
else. WeтАЩre in enough danger without running more risks. For all we know a neighbor or someone may
have turned us in to the local Committee as intellectuals. We canтАЩt afford the disgrace or maybe worse.
WeтАЩve got to think of the children.тАЭ

After a moment, Wilson said, тАЬI see. YouтАЩre thinking about the tappers. IтАЩll come out.тАЭ

тАЬDonтАЩt do that!тАЭ Emily snapped. тАЬDonтАЩt come near the house. TheyтАЩll be after you now. We canтАЩt afford
to be connected with you in any way. We arenтАЩt intellectuals! We graduated from college, but so did
millions of other people. ItтАЩs the scientists theyтАЩre after and the teachers. Stay away from us, John!тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩm not hearing you right,тАЭ Wilson said. тАЬYou and Mark---youтАЩre my best friends. It was just a few
hours ago we were talking together, drinking together, laughing---тАЬ

тАЬForget that!тАЭ Emily said harshly. тАЬForget you ever knew us.тАЭ She paused. тАЬTry to understand. YouтАЩve
got a plague, John, and it makes no difference how innocent or how right you are. You infect everyone
you touch. If you were our friend, as you say, you would want to stay away from us.тАЭ

тАЬIs that MarkтАЩs attitude, too?

тАЬYes.тАЭ

тАЬYou mentioned your children,тАЭ Wilson said softly. тАЬYouтАЩve got to think of them, you said. Think about
them a little more; think about Amy and Mark, Jr. IтАЩm not talking about the world theyтАЩll grow up to; you
know what that will be as well as I. But when will you be able to look into their eyes, Emily? When will
you be able to touch them without guilt, kiss them without feeling like Judas?тАЭ

тАЬThere are times when a person doesnтАЩt have a choice how he will live тАФ itтАЩs be a coward and live or a
hero and die. Women arenтАЩt heroes.тАЭ There was another pause; Wilson was afraid she would hang up,
but he couldnтАЩt think of anything to say. тАЬYour best bet, John, is to head for the coast, either one,тАЭ she
continued finally. тАЬI hear that some foreign governments are recruiting scientists and smuggling them out of
the country.тАЭ

тАЬSo thatтАЩs the way it is?тАЭ Wilson said gently.

тАЬThatтАЩs the way itтАЩs got to be.тАЭ

WilsonтАЩs voice turned as cold as hers. тАЬIтАЩll need money, Emily.тАЭ With one hand he slipped his billfold out
of his hip pocket, spread it open, and thumbed through the bills. There were only eight: four twenties, two
tens, a five, and a one. тАЬIтАЩll need at least a thousand. IтАЩve got more than five thousand in the bank, but I
canтАЩt touch it now. Send me the thousand and IтАЩll mail you a blank check. You can cash it when things
quiet down.тАЭ

тАЬNo!тАЭ Emily said quickly. тАЬDonтАЩt mail us anything. It might be intercepted or traced. WeтАЩll send you the
money---call it a loan. How do you want it?тАЭ

тАЬCash,тАЭ Wilson said grimly, feeling like a blackmailer, not caring. тАЬSmall bills. Send it to general delivery,
downtown postoffice, addressed to me. My nameтАЩs common enough, and they wonтАЩt be hunting me so