"James Patrick Kelly - Dividing the Sustain" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kelly James Patrick)

Nelly laughed. тАЬHowтАЩs it going with Ilona? Zola says sheтАЩs all right, but she
makes me itch. I mean, itтАЩs not only the captain sheтАЩs holding hostage, but itтАЩs her
own baby too.тАЭ

тАЬWe get along all right, I suppose. I like her, although sheтАЩs not the friendliest
person IтАЩve ever roomed with. ItтАЩs just that sheтАЩs lonely and thatтАЩs made her hard.тАЭ

тАЬWell, youтАЩre good company. Cheer her up. Tell her some of your lies.тАЭ

****

Been had no chance to cheer Ilona up either that day or the next. She seemed
preoccupied, absent even when she sprawled across from him in their com-mon
room. It wasnтАЩt until late on the eighth day that she appeared on the threshold of his
hutch and said that she couldnтАЩt sleep. She was going to the cafeteria to catch the
end of the sixth dinner seating. Did he want anything? He saw that it was only 23:12
and said that heтАЩd go with her for a snack.

тАЬItтАЩs such an old story,тАЭ she said. тАЬItтАЩs embarrassing, actually.тАЭ Her hands
were wrapped around a mug of coffee. The cafeteria was only about a third foil at
the end of the day and they were sitting alone at a corner table. тАЬWhen we talked
about the pregnancy, I thought it might bring us together. I was feeling like the
backup wife.тАЭ She made a strangled sound that might have been a laugh. тАЬNo, not
even.тАЭ She counted on her fingers. тАЬShip first, crew second, passengers third, Ilona
a distant fourth.тАЭ

Been gave her a sympathetic groan and dipped his spoon into his salak
yogurt.

тАЬNobody can force me to have this baby,тАЭ she said. тАЬHe tried to take me to
court on Kenning and they laughed him right onto the street. The law is that the baby
is me until itтАЩs born and Harlen Quellan canтАЩt make me do anything to myself.тАЭ

тАЬWhy do you always call the baby it? HeтАЩs a boy, no?тАЭ
 тАЬOf course itтАЩs a boy!тАЭ She spoke so fiercely that the babyface woke up and
cast its pale blue light onto her hands.

тАЬWe donтАЩt have to talk about this if it upsets you.тАЭ

тАЬIt doesnтАЩt, Been; weтАЩre divorced.тАЭ She ran a finger around the rim of her
cup. тАЬAfter I was pregnant I found out that heтАЩd been sleeping with Kinder Shwaa.
He said it had been over months before, but still. He hired her to replace me in the
cafeteria after we got married. The sexy first steward on a slipship. Orgasms in
space! Another clich├й, straight out of cheap VR. comix. I made him fire her.тАЭ She
stood up. тАЬIтАЩm done here.тАЭ She hadnтАЩt drunk any of the coffee.

She calmed down by the time they were walking down the companion-way to
their cabin. тАЬI know IтАЩm going to have this baby someday. Harlen knows it too.
HeтАЩs just determined that itтАЩs going to be on his terms and not mine. HeтАЩs the
captain, so he expects to get his way.тАЭ