"Paul Preuss - Venus Prime 1 - Breaking Strain" - читать интересную книгу автора (Preuss Paul)

тАЬI would like to see that file someday.тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩm afraid I no longer have access to it,тАЭ he lied. The file she had in mind was a different file.

The chess pad assigned her the white pieces and she opened swiftly with the Giuco Piano, throwing the
doctor off balance with pawn to bishop-three on the fourth move. To give himself time to think he
asked, тАЬIs there anything else you would like?тАЭ

тАЬAnything else?тАЭ

тАЬIs there anything we can do for you?тАЭ

тАЬI would like to see my mother and father.тАЭ

He didnтАЩt answer, pondering the board instead. Like most amateurs, he struggled to think two or three
moves deep but was unable to hold all the permutations in his mind. Like most masters, she thought in
patterns; although at this moment she could no longer recall her opening moves, it didnтАЩt matter. Years
ago, before her short-term memory had been destroyed, she had stored uncounted patterns.

He pushed the piece-keys and she replied instantly. On her next move one of his bishops was pinned. He


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 ARTHUR C. CLARKE'S VENUS PRIME: VOLUME I

smiled ruefully. Another rout in the making. Nevertheless he did his best to stay with her, to give her an
interesting game. Until her keepers untied his hands he had little else to give her.

An hour passedтАУtime was nothing to herтАУbefore she said тАЬcheckтАЭ for the last time. His queen was long
gone, his situation hopeless. тАЬYour game,тАЭ he said. She smiled, thanked him. He slipped the chess pad
into his pocket.

With the pad out of sight, her longing stare returned.

They made a final tour of the wall. The shadows were long and their breath congealed before their faces;
overhead the hazy blue sky was crisscrossed with a thousand icy contrails. A nurse met them at the door,
but the doctor stayed outside. When he said good-bye the girl looked at him curiously, having forgotten
who he was.


Some rekindled spark of rebellion inspired the doctor to key the phonelink. тАЬI want to talk to Laird.тАЭ

The face on the videoplate was bland and polite.

тАЬTerribly sorry. IтАЩm afraid the director cannot accept unscheduled calls.тАЭ

тАЬItтАЩs personal and urgent. Please tell him that. IтАЩll wait.тАЭ

тАЬDoctor, believe me, thereтАЩs simply no way . . .тАЭ