"David Marusek - The Wedding Album" - читать интересную книгу автора (Marusek David)

laughed and cheered him on.

Cathy said, "See? Congratulations, you!"

Anne became caught up in the merriment. But how can I be a sim? she wondered.

The pregnant Anne scanned the room, and, avoiding the crowd, came over to her. She
appeared very tired; her eyes were bloodshot. She didnтАЩt even try to smile. "Well?" Anne said, but
the pregnant Anne didnтАЩt respond, just examined AnneтАЩs gown, her clutch bouquet. Anne,
meanwhile, regarded the womanтАЩs belly, feeling somehow that it was her own and a cause for
celebration-except that she knew she had never wanted children and neither had Benjamin. Or
so heтАЩd always said. You wouldnтАЩt know that now, though, watching the spectacle he was
making of himself. Even the other Benjamin seemed embarrassed. She said to the pregnant Anne,
"You must forgive me, IтАЩm still trying to piece this all together. This isnтАЩt our reception?"

"No, our wedding anniversary."

"Our first?"

"Our fourth."

"Four years?" This made no sense. "YouтАЩve shelved me for four years?"

"Actually," the pregnant Anne said and glanced sidelong at Cathy, "weтАЩve been in here a number
of times already."

"Then I donтАЩt understand," said Anne. "I donтАЩt remember that."

Cathy stepped between them. "Now, donтАЩt you worry. They reset you last time is all."

"Why?" said Anne. "I never reset my sims. I never have."

"Well, I kinda do now, sister," said the pregnant Anne.

"But why?"

"To keep you fresh."

To keep me fresh, thought Anne. Fresh? She recognized this as BenjaminтАЩs idea. It was his belief
that sims were meant to be static mementos of special days gone by, not virtual people with
lives of their own. "But," she said, adrift in a fog of happiness. "But."
"Shut up!" snapped the pregnant Anne.

"Hush, Anne," said Cathy, glancing at the others in the room. "You want to lie down?" To Anne she
explained, "Third trimester blues."

"Stop it!" the pregnant Anne said. "DonтАЩt blame the pregnancy. It has nothing to do with the
pregnancy."

Cathy took her gently by the arm and turned her toward the wall. "When did you eat last? You