"L. E. Modesitt - The Forever Hero 2 -The Silent Warrior" - читать интересную книгу автора (Modesitt L E)

"I wish she could have seen you, but you know the final stages of the disease break down
most of the body's cartilage. She refused to have either you or His Grace accompany her. His Grace
would have had you go in his place, even. He did not want her alone--" The woman's voice broke this
time, and Gerswin waited, swallowing hard. "You know how strong willed she was . . . she is.

"She insisted I wait for your call. She did not want to upset His Grace, but she knew her
lieutenant would call, and someone had to tell you . . . she knew her lieutenant would call . . ."

The woman with the snow starred hair looked down, saying nothing. Gerswin could see her
fists clenched, feeling his own knotted at his sides.

"She knew you would call . . . ," repeated the woman helplessly.

"She knew," repeated the senior commander. "She knew so much." The silence fell on both
screens. "What can I do?"

"You have done all that you can . . . more than . . . many . . ." The woman visibly pulled
herself together. "I asked her what I could say to you--if, when, you called. She said you would
know, but that if I had to say anything, that she would see you at the end of time. That hers was
the shorter journey, and the easier."

He said nothing, but nodded twice. Then he cleared his throat again. "Let me know. Let me
know." He could say no more, and his hand lashed out at the screen controls. The image faded into
gray.

Forcing himself to unclinch his fists, he took four steps to the narrow oblong window and
peered at the smudged lights above the rain-damped garden.

"Hers was the shorter journey . . . Caroljoy . . . I never knew . . . never knew . . . But
you did . . . You always did."

As he stood before the rain and storm, the darkness solidified within.

IV

THE FOREVER HERO

Call him hero after all heroes had died.
Call him champion when none else had tried.
Call him saviour of a land left burned.
Call him a destroyer of shambles unlearned.

Call him a name, a title, a force.
Call him devil, or the land's source.
Call him soldier, pilot, or priest.
Call him the greatest, or term him beast.

But remember he stood, and stretched tall,
Where others crawled, or stood not at all.