"Justina Robson - Silver Screen" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robson Justina)

plague and a menace. ThatтАЩs how youтАЩd deal with yourselves if only you had the
guns and the guts.тАЩ During this speech he slowed down, halted, and his voice
returned to normal, his automatic fire reduced to a single forefinger barrel. He put it
to his own head. тАШPop,тАЩ he said and let his arm fall, forgotten. Tired and panting he
stood in the middle of them and then a beatific smile spread across his face, making
his red cheeks into tiny apples and showing his new, white teeth. He began to laugh
as if the entire thing was hysterically funny.
 The boy Fergus found his central nervous system was still operative at this
point and lunged forwards suddenly, shoving Roy backwards, hands balling up and
ready for trouble. Behind Roy, as he fell, the crowd parted nervously, but our side
rushed forwards, eager for violence in one part, horrified and hoping someone
would intervene in another. But we were not quick enough.
Jane Croft, ice maiden, took four rapid strides forward and rabbit-punched
the assailing boy square on his nose with her bare knuckles. тАШLeave it,тАЩ she said,
cramming her hand into her armpit and clenching her jaw with the pain, which
otherwise didnтАЩt show.
The boy staggered, hands to his face. One girl began to go to help him whilst
the religious one made a grab for JaneтАЩs hair. Jane pivoted on her hip and pushed her
out of the way with her free foot, a kickboxing move slowed right down so as to just
get rid of the threat, not intended to do any real harm. Obviously she had had a lot of
practice at being her brotherтАЩs protector. I stared at her in admiration and fear.
There was no more to see. Jane stood next to Roy, who was lying on his back
in the dusty clumps of grass, catatonic. The three slouched off towards the
basketball hoop after making a few face-saving noises. Little by little, our classmates
trickled away in ones and twos. I was the last one left, staring down at Roy, his eyes
closed, breathing lax. I looked up to find Jane giving me her impersonal once-over.
We both looked at Roy on the ground, a fallen prophet, and I couldnтАЩt decide then if
he was mad or gifted or simply strange, but I knew he was more interesting than
anyone else I had ever met. Him and his sister. I had some sherbets in my pocket. I
took the bag out and held it towards Jane.
тАШWant one?тАЩ
She seemed tempted but shook her head, unwilling to draw out her injured
hand. тАШNo thanks.тАЩ
тАШGet me one, Jane,тАЩ Roy said, without opening his eyes.
тАШGet it yourself.тАЩ She gave a twisting sort of shrug and slouched away,
scuffing the grass with her feet as she went.
I felt crushed by her response, but tried not to let it show. Roy got up. He
picked a lemon sweet out of the bag and stuck it in his cheek. тАШIgnore her,тАЩ he said.
тАШSheтАЩs cross because she had to hit him. I should have wound it up better.тАЩ
тАШIt was great,тАЩ I said, instantly sorry IтАЩd said anything so utterly contemptible,
and hung my head.
тАШIt was rubbish,тАЩ he answered, as I expected he would, but his sentence
carried on regardless. тАШIтАЩm going to my room to play Planetbuster,тАЩ he added,
naming the latest and most difficult space shoot-тАЩem-up. тАШWant to come?тАЩ
From then on we formed a kind of alliance, although it was never an easy
enough relationship on either side to be a typical friendship. Roy was too much of
an individual, mercurial in mood; a kid one minute and a haughty professor the next.
Jane was simply abrasive when she came into contact with anyone at any level,
smoothing occasionally when she forgot herself, but these moments never lasted.
Neither of them needed me. I was the one doing all the work, and I knew it. I felt