"Light of Other Days by Bob Shaw" - читать интересную книгу автора (Nebula Award Stories 2)

zonesbut, in general, it cost more to buy scenedows which
kept closely instep with real time.
Selina still looked unconvinced when Hagan had finished
speaking. She shook her head almost imperceptibly and I
knew he had been using the wrong approach. Quite suddenly
the pewter helmet of her hair was disturbed by a cool gust of
wind, and huge clean tumbling drops of rain began to spang
round us from an almost cloudless sky.
"I'll give you a check now," I said abruptly, and saw
Selina's green eyes triangulate angrily on my face. "You can
arrange delivery?"
"Aye, delivery's no problem," Hagan said, getting to his
feet. "But wouldn't you rather take the glass with you?"
"Well, yesif you don't mind." I was shamed by his
readiness to trust my scrip.
"I'll unclip a pane for you. Wait here. It won't take long to
slip it into a carrying frame." Hagan limped down the slope
to'vards the seriate windows, through some of which the view
towards Linnhe was sunny, while others were cloudy and a
few pure black.
Selina drew the collar of her blouse closed at her throat.
"The least he could have done was invite us inside. There
can't be so many fools passing through that he can afford to
neglect them."
I tried to ignore the insult and concentrated on writing the
check. One of the outsize drops broke across my knuckles,
splattering the pink paper.
"All right," I said, "let's move in under the eaves till he gets
back." You. worm, I thought as I felt the whole thing go
completely wrong. I just had to be a fool to marry you. A
prize fool, a fool's fooland now that you've trapped part of
me inside you I'll never ever, never ever, never ever get away.
Feeling my stomach clench itself painfully, I ran behind
Selina to the side of the cottage. Beyond the window the neat
living room, with its coal fire, was empty but the child's toys
were scattered on the floor. Alphabet blocks and a wheelbar-
row the exact color of freshly pared carrots. As I stared in,
the boy came running from the other room and began kicking
the blocks. He didn't notice me. A few moments later the
young woman entered the room and lifted him, laughing
easily and whole-heartedly as she swung the boy under her
arm. She came to the window as she had done earlier. I
smiled self-consciously, but neither she nor the child re-
sponded.
My forehead prickled icily. Could they both be blind? I
sidled away.
Selina gave a little scream and I spun towards her.
"The rug!" she said. "It's getting soaked."
She ran across the yard in the rain, snatched the reddish
square from the dappling wall and ran back, towards the