"Daniel Keys Moran - Armageddon Blues" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moran Daniel Keys)

Jalian straightened and brushed her hands off on her white jumpsuit. Her hands left faint orange splotches
behind. "My name is Jalian. Jalian of the Fires of the People with Silver Eyes, in the long form." She
moved closer to him, and lightly touched one of his hands with one of her own. "Does your name mean
anything?"

Georges shook his head no. He was more aware of her touch than of any other physical contact with a
woman that he could recall in all his long life. "Not that I know of." With the hand that hers was not
covering, he touched her chin. He would have turned her to meet his eyes; before he could do so she
looked up of her own accord

/life is calm power running through deep, quiet channels worn smooth. control is necessary and
uncertain./

/most alone. rivers of black concrete freeze in grief, melt in fire. there are thirty-eight years until
Armageddon and Jalian's desolate grief and aloneness slashed through Georges as though it were his
own./

Jalian's voice trembled. "How old are you?" Her eyes were averted again.

"TwoтАж" Georges licked his lips and said, "Two hundred and fifty years old. About."

Jalian turned slightly away from him, so that even by accident she could not meet his eyes. "I think I had
better leave." She took a step away from him, turned, and took another before Georges found words.

"Ni." Jalian froze. Georges Mordreaux said in silverspeech, "I am not Ralesh and I am not ghess'Rith. I
am myself, and I will never hurt you."

Jalian started to speak, and her voice broke on the first word. She had to begin again. "All of the people
I have ever loved, Georges, they have wanted me to be things other than what I was; things other than
what I could be. I..." She seemed at a loss for words.

Georges shrugged. "I know what you are. I know you as well as you know yourself. And I'm more
objective about it."

"The ending of things, GeorgesтАж"

"Is not your fault," he said mildly. "Jalian, when you left your own time you meant to change things for the
betterтАФ"

She interrupted him. "I am not sure that it can be changed. Georges, ithappened ."

"Oh, to be sure," agreed Georges cheerfully. "It happened once. Need it happen twice?"

Jalian's voice was steady. "What do you mean?"

"The nature of time," said Georges solemnly, "is a mystery to the best of us." He paused. "Einstein said
that to me, the one time we met."

"I do not understand."