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

Afterward, he lay spooned against her back, his arms draped over her belly.
He was playing with the short hairs on her neck when the entire Nine Ball gonged as
if struck by an enormous hammer.

тАЬWhat was that?тАЭ Ilona started awake.

тАЬThe earth moved,тАЭ said Been. тАЬOnly I think it came a little late.тАЭ

тАЬTheyтАЩre closing the sustain,тАЭ she said.

тАЬGood morning, ladies and gentlemen.тАЭ Captain Harlen Quellan ap-peared on
all five lightboards in his dress uniform. He did not appear to notice that this
particular lady and gentleman were naked. тАЬSome of you may have been startled by
the bump a few minutes ago. There is nothing to worry about. We are approaching
one-to-one ship subjective to galactic standard time and are beginning to close the
sustain.тАЭ

тАЬOh, BeenтАЭ said Ilona.
 He squeezed her. He could hear applause echoing down the companionways.

тАЬItтАЩs possible that there will be a few more such mild bumps,тАЭ said Harlen
Quellen.

тАЬBeen, itтАЩs wet here.тАЭ

тАЬSo I would encourage all of you...тАЭ The captainтАЩs image froze in
mid-sentence, his mouth still open as if he were surprised that he had nothing more
to say.

Ilona heaved herself to a sitting position, grabbed at BeenтАЩs hand, and pressed
it to the cushion where she had been lying. He felt a wet spot not quite the size of his
palm. тАЬIt is wet,тАЭ he said.

тАЬGet the float!тАЭ she cried and bolted for the head. тАЬGet Zelmet.тАЭ

****

тАЬNice timing,тАЭ Emsley said, as Ilona came out of the head, her face ashen.
тАЬContractions?тАЭ

She nodded.

Everything happened at once, and, for some reason, Been found himself at the
center of it, right by IlonaтАЩs side. Zelmet Emsley had come with the float and Brend
Diosia, the Nine BallтАЩs second bioengineer. They loaded Ilona onto it. As they were
dodging her through the obstacles in the common room, Ilona reached out and
grabbed BeenтАЩs wrist. He lurched toward her and almost upended the float.

тАЬI want him,тАЭ she said to Emsley.