"Mary Rosenblum - Breeze from the Stars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rosenblum Mary)

Nothing.
Nothing.
And then...
...the universe opened like a flower unfurling. Stars, galaxies, planets whizzed
past, with glimpses of brown/white/gray/green/blue. He was falling into forever,
heard someone yell, realized dimly it was his voice, felt DelfinioтАЩs arms around him.
тАЬLook, just look,тАЭ Delfinio breathed in his ear. тАЬYouтАЩre not lost, youтАЩre right
here.тАЭ
He saw ... forever.
тАЬCome back now. ThatтАЩs enough.тАЭ
Jeri blinked, his stomach curling with loss, cramped walls curved around him.
Dumb, he stared into DelfinioтАЩs eyes. Not windows into an alien sky, no. Windows
into forever.
тАЬIt is not always a burden ... finding the trash.тАЭ Delfinio kissed him gently on
the forehead. тАЬYou get to truly see.тАЭ
тАЬI saw ... worlds,тАЭ he whispered. тАЬBlue. ThatтАЩs water, right?тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt know.тАЭ Delfinio grinned, showing all his teeth. тАЬIтАЩve never looked
that close. Why?тАЭ His shrug didnтАЩt move him one centimeter. тАЬI canтАЩt go there. You
can look close if you want.тАЭ
He had seen worlds, infinite universes. He thought of the blue and white
planets, the green and tawny ones. Flinched as Delfinio touched him.
тАЬItтАЩs like getting drunk,тАЭ Delfinio said softly. тАЬOnly sometimes. Only when
youтАЩre not looking for junk.тАЭ Darkness threaded his words ... no ... it was sadness.
тАЬOr you really will dissolve. It will suck out your soul and leave nothing behind.тАЭ
And Jeri shivered, hearing a reason why Delfinio looked for junk alone.
тАЬI think you will be fine.тАЭ Delfinio grinned again, pushed him so that Jeri
drifted toward the little shuttle lock. тАЬTake the shuttle and go back to The Hole. You
did not really celebrate your graduation and you should do that. You do not need to
pay. They will never let you pay, now.тАЭ His grin widened. тАЬSet the shuttle on auto
and it will bring you home safely.тАЭ
Home. Jeri looked around the small ovoid of Dispatch. Looked back at
Delfinio. тАЬThanks,тАЭ he said and hesitated, because he had been about to refuse.
тАЬYeah, IтАЩll go.тАЭ
тАЬGo get drunk. Find Zai. She had her eye on you.тАЭ Delfinio cackled. тАЬWhen
youтАЩre all done, itтАЩs my turn. It has been a long time since I have drunk bitter beer at
The Hole.тАЭ
тАЬWhat happened to your last trainee?тАЭ Jeri paused outside the shuttle. тАЬOr am
I the first?тАЭ
тАЬOh, not the first.тАЭ Delfinio looked away.
When it became clear he wasnтАЩt going to say more, Jeri left.
****
It was as Delfinio said. He pushed into The Hole and Sanya and Jorges were
there with some of their off-duty NYUp teammates drinking beer and being as silly
as Jeri remembered from training. They hollered and whooped when they saw him
and the barkeep handed him a bag of beer as he made his way over to them through
the crowded bar and waved away his attempt to pay. He had had no time for the G
gym and even the slight gravity of The Hole dragged at him and made his joints ache.
тАЬHey, this is our buddy from training.тАЭ Sanya slapped him on the back, three
tiny lightfiber roses gleaming on her left arm. Hits. тАЬHey, send me after some good
stuff, will you?тАЭ She laughed. тАЬI want something better than lost wrenches and junk.