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

тАЬI heard you want part of the ship as a settlement.тАЭ

тАЬItтАЩs not about the money.тАЭ She paused at the hatch. тАЬWell, it is, but what
probably scared him more was when I said I wanted my share so I could sell to
Transtellar.тАЭ The hatch slid away. Been followed her into their common room. тАЬHe
worked over a century for them so that he could own a ship without any partners.
And he hates Transtellar.тАЭ She noticed her reflection in one of the blank lightboards
and shuddered. тАЬScenery,тАЭ she cried. тАЬShow me scenery.тАЭ All the boards lit up with
images of the salt castles on Blimmey. тАЬOkay, I was hot and so I didnтАЩt begin the
divorce negotiations in the best way. It was a stupid thing to say. Things spun down
after that.тАЭ

тАЬHe worked for Transtellar for a century? How old is he?тАЭ

тАЬI forget. Over three hundred and fifty.тАЭ She settled gingerly onto the couch.
тАЬHeтАЩs been recast four times.тАЭ Been was about to sit in one of the chairs but she
tapped her hand on the cushion beside her. тАЬDo me a favor,тАЭ she said.

He almost hit his head on a descending panel but managed to slide in next to
her. The babyface was gazing at him as if it were frightened.

Ilona noticed Been looking at the babyface and not at her. She picked it up
and turned it so she could see it. тАЬIтАЩm not going to be your mother,тАЭ she told it. тАЬI
donтАЩt want to be around you at all. Let the crew take care of you.тАЭ

Despite himself, Been was aghast. тАЬYou sound like you hate it.тАЭ Having Ilona
and Harlen Quellan for parents wasnтАЩt their babyтАЩs fault.
 She let the babyface fall back around her neck. тАЬIt knows that I do. But itтАЩs
part of me.тАЭ She caught his gaze and seemed to sense his shock. тАЬThereтАЩs so much
you donтАЩt understand.тАЭ

Been chuckled bitterly. тАЬIтАЩm beginning to realize that.тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩve lost everything,тАЭ she said. тАЬI have nothing.тАЭ

At that moment, Been felt as if he were outside himself, looking in. None of
his feelings for Ilona made sense. Before heтАЩd become gay, that would have been
reason enough to bolt off the couch and run for his hutch. He was a mindsync
courier; heтАЩd spent most of his life buried in the sustain with strangers. But after a
year of enduring the pale emotions of the colo-nists, he felt irresistibly drawn to this
woman, who was burning with anger and need. HeтАЩd never been particularly
sympathetic to others, but now he was experiencing IlonaтАЩs anguish as if it were his
own. And maybe that was the real reason why he stretched his hand out and brushed
the back of hers. He was one hundred and thirty-two years old, and he was certain
that he had never felt so deeply about anyone ever before.

тАЬIs there something I can do?тАЭ

тАЬThereтАЩs another line IтАЩve heard too many times.тАЭ She slumped against the