"Karin Lowachee - Warchild" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lowachee Karin)

wind stung.
He gave you clothes. A big sweater that was meant for an
older kid and pants you had to roll up. Then he put you in his
bed and that made the sick, nervous feeling worse. Daddy and
Mama used to cuddle you in their bed sometimes when you
had a nightmare, but you didnтАЩt want to cuddle with Falcone.
He couldnтАЩt take away your nightmares. Other things you
knew about in a vague way from watching vids with Evan and
his friendsтАФthings like that happened in bed too, things you
thought your parents did that had to do with loving each
otherтАж but you didnтАЩt love Falcone. There was nowhere to go
because you were against the wall and he was looking at you
with that smooth, mocking smile.
тАЬGo to sleep, Jos. And donтАЩt be afraidтАФwell, not too much.
YouтАЩre mine now.тАЭ
He left you there. You didnтАЩt sleep. You shivered wide-eyed,
under the heavy blankets that smelled like him, and in the big
clothes, and watched the door.



VII.
┬л^┬╗
Sometime later you heard a short beep from the walls. Soon
after Falcone came back and went into the bathroom. The
shower cycled. Then he came out naked and went to his
webbing and pulled out and on dark gray coveralls, leaving the
top unzipped and hanging from his hips. He had a tattoo of a
bloody four-armed woman on the left side of his chest. On his
right wrist, you saw now, was a detail of her dark face. But
the one over his heart held weapons and danced, and around
her waist hung severed hands. It was a monster from a
nightmare. She moved when he moved. He stuck his feet in
boots and went to his desk and sat, propped his foot on the
edge of the bed and looked at his slate. He hadnтАЩt once looked
at you. Maybe he thought you were asleep. Only your eyes
showed above the blankets.
He smoked as he worked on his slate. You looked at him,
trying to avoid that tattoo. His hair was gray but he didnтАЩt
look as old as Cap. He had the same shape as Daddy, not soft
like Jules in engineering, who sometimes worked with only
cutoffs on so you saw his arms jiggle when he lifted things.
You looked down at the boot on the end of the bed. Inside
had been a knife. Was it there now?
тАЬDid you sleep well?тАЭ
Your heart jumped. He was still reading his slate but when
you didnтАЩt answer he looked at you.
He reached inside his desk, brought out a bag of flavored
crackers, and tossed it on the bed.
тАЬEat something. You look pale.тАЭ A can of cold caff followed.