"Daniel Marcus - Heart of Molten Stone" - читать интересную книгу автора (Marcus Daniel)

тАЬWhy don't you take the conn for awhile?тАЭ Flint said, his buzzing voice on my mastoid speaker shaking
me into wakefulness. тАЬI need a break.тАЭ

The controls were simple and primitiveтАФwheel for steering, foot pedals for speed. Flint and Leilani went
to the rear of the barge and sat looking out at the glowing wake.

I thought about Schwartz, about the andys, about this hellrun down the river Styx. I felt like there was a
lot more going on here than was obvious on the surface, like there was some sort of metaphysical
understructure that would click into place for me if only I had the key.

Schwartz. I'd been sent out to punch his clock, but riding toward him down this river of fire I was
beginning to feel an odd kinship with him. I wanted to talk to him, to try to understand him.
 I looked behind me. Flint and Leilani were sitting with their arms around each other, their merged
e-fields like a single coruscating glove, silhouetted against the orange glow of the river and the black sky.

I turned away, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.
****

The river was starting to narrow again. Cliffs rose on either side, until we sped down the bottom of a
deep, rugged gorge. Red light reflected from the molten river flickered off the obsidian cliffs. Flint had
walked up from the back of the barge and was standing beside me. I looked over at him and nodded,
and we stood there together for a while, looking out at the river.

I didn't know how to ask him what I needed to know. I was curious about his andy, confused. I needed
to understand.

тАЬFlint,тАЭ I said. тАЬYou and your andy ... Leilani.тАЭ

тАЬYes?тАЭ

тАЬWhat do you ... what do youdo ?тАЭ

тАЬYou mean sexually?тАЭ

'Well, yes ... No. I mean, in part, yeah, but really, whatis it between you?тАЭ

I thought he would get angry but he only smiled that enigmatic grin of his and shook his head.

тАЬI don't think I can explain it. We have a ... connection.тАЭ

The ride was starting to get a little rough as we hit some rapids. I held onto the steering wheel and
looked behind me. Leilani was sitting at the rear of the boat, facing forward, braced against the back rail.

I looked back at Flint. He smiled again. тАЬYou understand, Company man. You do. You're just not
ready to own it yet.тАЭ

The barge lurched and he grabbed a rail for support. He looked ahead and his eyes widened. I followed
his gaze.

Up ahead, the river narrowed further, the speeding flow at the center glowing a bright yellow. Then, the