"Nina Kiriki Hoffman - But Now Am Found" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hoffman Nina Kiriki)

experience
as if she were young and being cared for, another part of her protesting every
bite, screaming in horror at what this forced feeding was doing to her
carefully
established control, and another, more primitive part full of a hunger so deep
that even this excess could not fill it.

This time when they finished feeding her she felt only a little bloated. The
two
selves escorted her into the living room and turned on the television. After
half an hour of some inane rerun, Fat Self took Iris's arm and led her over to
the Exercycle. With deep relief, Iris started cycling. Little Self adjusted
the
tension on the bike so that it was harder to pedal than Iris was used to, but
she pushed and pumped till the sweat soaked through her nightgown and rolled
down her face. Here was something she could control.

When at last she stopped, her arms and legs aching with fatigue, her seat
almost
as sore as it had been the first time she used the bike, Fat Self drew her
into
the bathroom and gave her a bath, soaping and sponging and rinsing her with
strong, gentle hands. Iris was too tired to help. The warm water relaxed her.
With her eyes closed, she could imagine she was a little girl again and Mother
was taking care of her. She fell asleep before the bath was over.

They never let her leave the house. She didn't understand how they were
handling
her job. It seemed that one or the other of them must be going to work,
because
there was enough money for rent and groceries. Usually when Iris was awake
both
of them were home, but she realized, even though they had taken away the
clock,
that they had shifted her schedule so that she slept during the day; maybe
while
she slept one of her other selves answered the phones, screened the
applicants,
and filed all the papers generated by Charisma, Incorporated. Somebody must be
doing it.

She was relieved it was no longer her. * * *

Little Self grew steadily bigger. Her cheeks rounded, and flesh showed on her
bones. The day came when Iris woke to discover twin Fat Self cooking dinner
for
her -- Stroganoff lush with sour cream, potatoes holding lakes of butter,
salad
clothed in ranch dressing, and cherry cobbler for dessert. Iris sat at the
table