"Kim Stanley Robinson - Forty Signs of Rain" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robinson Kim Stanley)

Anna showed him the pages. тАЬTheyтАЩve gotten a couple grants. ItтАЩll make them some good contacts.тАЭ

тАЬVery nice, did you do this?тАЭ Frank took the pages.

тАЬI just pointed them at things. TheyтАЩre turning out to be good at following through. And I helped
Drepung rewrite the grant proposals. You know how it is, after doing this job for a few years you do
know how to write a grant proposal.тАЭ

тАЬNo lie. Nice job.тАЭ He handed the pages back to her. тАЬGood to see someone doingsomething. тАЭ

Anna returned to her desk, glancing after him. He was definitely edgy these days. He had always been
that way, of course, ever since the day he arrived. Dissatisfied, cynical, sharp-tongued; it was hard not to
contrast him to the Khembalis. Here he was, about to go home to one of the best departments in one of
the best universities in one of the nicest cities in the worldтАЩs richest country, and he was unhappy.
Meanwhile the Khembalis were essentially multigenerational exiles, occupying a tidal sandbar in near
poverty, and they were happy.
Or at least cheerful. She did not mean to downplay their situation, but these days she never saw that
unhappy look that had so struck her the first time she had seen Drepung. No, they were cheerful, which
was different than happy; a policy perhaps, rather than a feeling. But that only made it more admirable.

Well, everyone was different. She got back to the tedious grind of changing data. Then Drepung called,
and they shared the pleasure of the good news about the grant proposals. They discussed the details, and
then Drepung said, тАЬWe have you to thank for this, Anna. So thank you.тАЭ

тАЬYouтАЩre welcome, but it wasnтАЩt really me, itтАЩs the Foundation and all the other organizations.тАЭ

тАЬBut you are the one who piloted us through the maze. We owe you big time.тАЭ

Anna laughed despite herself.

тАЬWhat?тАЭ

тАЬNothing, itтАЩs just that you sound like Charlie. You sound like youтАЩve been watching sports on TV.тАЭ

тАЬI do like watching basketball, I must admit.тАЭ

тАЬThatтАЩs fine. Just donтАЩt start listening to that rap music okay? I donтАЩt think I could handle that.тАЭ

тАЬI wonтАЩt. You know me, I like Bollywood. Anyway, you must let us thank you somehow for this. We
will have you to dinner.тАЭ

тАЬThat would be nice.тАЭ

тАЬAnd maybe you can join us at the zoo when our tigers arrive. Recently a pair of Bengal tigers were
rescued off Khembalung after a flood. The papers in India call them the Swimming Tigers, and they are
coming for a stay at the National Zoo here. We will have a small ceremony when they arrive.тАЭ

тАЬThat would be great. The boys would love that. And alsoтАФтАЭ An idea had occurred to her.