"Paul Levinson - Loose Ends 03 - Late Lessons" - читать интересную книгу автора (Levinson Paul)

Late Lessons [Story 3 of the
Loose Ends Saga]
Paul Levinson
A DF Books NERDs Release

Copyright ┬й1999 by Paul Levinson

First published in Analog, October 1999

Jeff and Laura walked hand in hand past lush Victorian vines, in the Haupt Conservatory of the New
York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx.

тАЬThere's a timelessness about this place,тАЭ Jeff said. Antique gardens always had a special attraction for
Laura and himтАФperhaps it because reminded them of that night long ago, in Wave Hill across from the
Palisades, in the 1960s.

Laura just smiled. They entered a room with a skylight dome, slightly cloudy and cracked now with age.
A keen blue sky shone through anyway.

Jeff breathed in the honeysuckle and looked at the dome. тАЬHard to believe it's finally up there again,тАЭ he
said. тАЬThey took their time.тАЭ

тАЬThey had to be careful,тАЭ Laura said. тАЬThe Discovery has to fly a successful mission. It was worth the
32-month wait. It'll deploy its communications satellite and come back home with its crew safe and
sound. And the space program will slowly recover.тАЭ

Jeff shuddered. He recalled the last launch they'd seenтАФthe Challenger. They hadn't the heart to see this
one launch in person. And they had tried to stay far away from the space program after the
ChallengerтАФlet the world take its natural course, the course Laura remembered. That was the best way
to get back on track in space.

тАЬThere are some nasty things coming up soon that I'd like to stop,тАЭ Jeff said. тАЬThe Pan Am plane blowing
up over Scotland is the worst, I thinkтАФthat's due to happen right before ChristmasтАФbut I guess we have
no choice but to leave well enough alone for the sake of the space program. At least 1989 looks to be a
pretty good year.тАЭ

тАЬYeah,тАЭ Laura said, patting her belly and smiling. тАЬI'd say a very good year.тАЭ She was six weeks
pregnant with Jeff's child.

тАЬIt'll be a good year to be born,тАЭ Jeff said, and pulled Laura close for a gentle hug. тАЬBerlin Wall comes
down, beginning of the end for the Soviet Union. Not the greatest for spaceтАФthough that should be ok
now with the US program in gear again. But a good year for freedom.тАЭ

тАЬDon't be so sure about the Soviet Union,тАЭ Laura said. тАЬAndropov's a pretty tough customer.тАЭ

****
тАЬLoser,тАЭ Laura shut off the television. тАЬHis voice is likeтАФwhat's that numbing stuff the dentist gave me
last year?тАФnovocaine.тАЭ Michael Dukakis had just been talking about the economy.

тАЬHe's the least of our problems,тАЭ Jeff said. He had just returned from a long microfiche session at the