"Richard Laymon - Dreambox Junkies" - читать интересную книгу автора (Laymon Richard)

тАЬHappy dreams."

BoxRuthstood in the doorway, wanting to make up. Somehow, as usual, she had got it into her head
that she was the one in the wrong, which could not have been further from the truth of things. He himself,
Paulie Rayle, was absolutely to blame, and the tenderness in Ruth's voice, now, and the gaze he received
from those beautiful eyes, were completely, absolutely undeserved.

She came into the bedroom, into his arms.

Kissing her, he said again, тАЬI'm sorry."

тАЬWe'll be fine.тАЭ Ruth returned the kiss three times over. тАЬStop worrying about us all the time. Kali likes
to sit and watch me work. I strap her in her little seat, and she's fine. She loves to watch me sawing.
Always cracks her up."

тАЬI feel mean."

тАЬWell, you shouldn't. It's not like you're just playing about.тАЭ She kissed his forehead. тАЬNow go on, don't
worry about us. We'll be here when you get back. And you'll never know if it's gunna work unless you
keep at it, give it a proper try."

He said, тАЬIt's a stupid idea."

тАЬNo, it's not. It's worth trying. Now go on.тАЭ Ruth picked up the Dreambox, held it out to him. тАЬI bought
it for you to use, and that's what you're doing. Not like other people use them. Not like a toy. You're
using it for something important. I mean, what could be more important than what you're trying to do?"

Paulie took the Dreambox. A third-gen, it was no larger than a paperback novel. Fourth-gens were
already available, dinky little miniboxes half this size. How long would it be before they could implant
them in your head like Mindseyes?

Ruth should have known better than to have gone and got him started on this. Where would it end?

They kissed again and, before leaving him, she whispered, тАЬGood luck."

He sat down again on their bed, a sturdy, handsome pine construction of Ruth's. He put the box down
beside him, checked the timer once again, attached the trodes.

How could he get it through to Ruth, that it could never, ever possibly work, that what he was planning
was, if not insane, then ridiculously naive?

He lay back, stretched out beside the Dreambox.

It was so unfair to delude her, to let her keep on believing. Not that she actually believedтАФhow could
she? How could anyone? It was, Paulie suspected, more a matter of fidelity to his hopes, of loving
support for his ambitions.

How much longer could he let it go on?

He had followed the instructions to the letter. For two weeks, night after night as he settled down to