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

never a secret obsession. It was so unlike him; he was at once delighted and
alarmed.

Zola kicked Been under the table. He glanced over at her and she twitched her
head toward Ilona. Sandor had his nose in a plate of eggs but Nelly had pushed back
from the table, too nervous to eat. Been could tell that the women in his pod were
going to start speaking for him if he didnтАЩt speak for himself.

тАЬFor my birthday,тАЭ he said, тАЬI decided to give myself a present. IтАЩm going to
be gay. Zelmet Emsley has already programmed the sprites; IтАЩm getting them later
today.тАЭ

тАЬAnd what made you decide this, Been?тАЭ said Ilona.

тАЬIтАЩve never been gay.тАЭ He shrugged. тАЬIтАЩve never really been anyone but
myself. Rather boring, wouldnтАЩt you say? And I suppose IтАЩm worried about going
stale.тАЭ

тАЬAt your age?тАЭ Sandor grunted in disbelief.

тАЬWe all go stale eventually,тАЭ said Ilona. тАЬImmortality is for turtles.тАЭ

тАЬIlona is an authority on creative discomfort,тАЭ Zola broke in. They had all
agreed that this was their best and maybe only chance to move Been out of the pod
now that they were sure he was going to become gay. Zola wasnтАЩt going to let Been
ruin it. тАЬYou should see what she has done with her cabin. ItтАЩs like a maze.тАЭ

Nelly nodded vigorously. тАЬZola told me that just finding the couch made her
feel smarter.тАЭ Her enthusiasm had an edge of desperation. тАЬNo one could ever go
stale there.тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩd very much like to see it,тАЭ said Been.

Ilona nodded and then poured syrup over her pancakes, her fish, and her
grapefruit. Zola and Nelly began to eat as well, as if something had just been settled,
although Been wasnтАЩt sure what.

Zola said, тАЬI really appreciate this, Ilona.тАЭ

тАЬAppreciate what?тАЭ Ilona teased a sliver from the fillet with her chop-sticks.
тАЬDonтАЩt assume, Zola. What do you imagine IтАЩm doing?тАЭ

тАЬYouтАЩre talking to us,тАЭ said Been.

тАЬYouтАЩre here. It would be impolite to do otherwise.тАЭ Her smile was chilly.

With a wrench, Been realized that he was wasting his time trying to charm her.
Ilona Quellan would never willingly disrupt her life by letting him move into the spare
hutch in her cabin.