"James Van Pelt - Of Late I Dreamt of Venus" - читать интересную книгу автора (Pelt James Van)

Of Late I Dreamt of Venus
by James Van Pelt




L
ike a shiny pie plate, Venus hung high in the observation alcoveтАЩs
window, a full globe afire with sunlight. Elizabeth Audrey
contemplated its placid surface. Many would say it was
gorgeous. Alexander Pope called the bright light тАЬthe torch of Venus,тАЭ
and some ancient astronomer, besotted with the winkless glimmer
named the planet after the goddess of love and beauty. At this distance,
clouded bands swirled across the shimmering lamp, illuminating the dark
room. She held her hands behind her back, feet apart, watching the
flowing weather patterns. Henry Harrison, her young assistant, sat at a
console to the windowтАЩs side.
тАЬSoon,тАЭ he said.
тАЬShhh.тАЭ She sniffed. The air smelled of cold machinery and air
scrubbers, a tainted chemical breath with no organic trace about it.
Beyond VenusтАЩ wet light, a mantle of stars shown with measured
steadiness. One slipped behind the planetтАЩs fully lit edge. Elizabeth
could measure their orbitтАЩs progress by the swallowing and spitting out of
stars.
Elizabeth said, тАЬDid you talk to the surgeon about your scar?тАЭ
Henry touched the side of his face, tracing a line from the corner of
his eye to his ear.
тАЬNo. It didnтАЩt seem important.тАЭ
тАЬYou donтАЩt need to live with it. A little surgery. You heal in deep
sleep. Two hundred years from now when we wake, youтАЩll be . . .
improved.тАЭ She lifted her foot from the floor with a magnetic click and
then snapped down hard a few inches away. тАЬI hate free fall. How long?тАЭ
тАЬFinal countdown. WeтАЩll be back in the carousel soon and you can
have your weight again.тАЭ



1
James Van Pelt


The scene from the window cast a mellow light. Silent. Grand. A
poet would write about it if one were here.
тАЬAhh,тАЭ said Elizabeth. A red pustule rose in the planetтАЩs swirling
atmosphere. She leaned forward, put her palms against the window.
Orange light boiled in the clouds, spreading away from the bloody
center, disrupting the bands. тАЬItтАЩs begun.тАЭ
Henry read data on his screens. Input numbers. Checked other
monitors. Tapped keys quickly. тАЬA clean hit, on target.тАЭ He didnтАЩt look
at the actual show beyond, but watched his sensitive devices instead.