"Kristine Kathryn Rusch - The Gallery of His Dreams" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rusch Kristine Kathryn)

his beard.

тАЬHmmm,тАЭ Morse said as he stalked forward. He paced around Brady, studied him for a moment.
тАЬYou're what, eighteen?тАЭ

тАЬAlmost, sir.тАЭ
тАЬIf you had talent, you'd know it by now.тАЭ Morse shook his head. His suit smelled faintly of mothballs.
тАЬNo, no. You're one of the lucky ones, blessed with drive. A man with talent merely has a head start. A
man with drive succeeds.тАЭ

Morse stalked back to his desk, stepping on the papers that littered the floor. тАЬDrive but no talent. I have
the perfect machine for you.тАЭ He put his hand on the box. тАЬEver hear of Louis Daguerre? No, of course
not. What would a farmboy know of the latest scientific discoveries?тАЭ

Brady started, then shot another look at Page. Perhaps Page had said something about Brady's
background. Page ignored him and had come closer to Morse.

тАЬDaguerre found a way to preserve the world in one image. Look.тАЭ He handed Page a small metal plate.
As Page tilted it toward the light, Brady saw the Unitarian Church he walked past almost every day.

тАЬThis is a daguerreotype,тАЭ Morse said. тАЬI made this one through the window of the third floor staircase at
New York University.тАЭ

тАЬThat is the right view.тАЭ Page's voice held awe. тАЬYou used no paints.тАЭ

тАЬI used this,тАЭ Morse said, his hand pounding on the box's top. тАЬIt has a lens hereтАФтАЭ and he pointed at
the back end from which a glass-topped cylinder protruded тАЬтАФand a place here for the plates. The
plates are silver on copper which I treat with iodine and expose to light through the lens. Then I put the
plate in another box containing heated mercury and when I'm doneтАФan image! An exact reproduction of
the world in black and white.тАЭ

Brady touched the cool edge of the plate. тАЬIt preserves memories,тАЭ he said, thinking that if such a device
had existed before, he could have seen his father's hovel, his grandfather's home.

тАЬIt does more than that, son,тАЭ Morse said. тАЬThis is our future. It will destroy portrait painting. Soon
everything will be images on metal, keepsakes for generations to come.тАЭ

Page pulled back at the remark about portrait painting. He went to the window, looked at the street
below. тАЬI suppose that's why you brought us up here. To show me that I'll be out of work soon?тАЭ

тАЬNo, lad.тАЭ Morse laughed and the sound boomed and echoed off the canvas-covered walls. тАЬI want to
save you, not destroy you. I'm opening a school to teach this new process and I invite you to join. Fifty
dollars tuition for the entire semester and I promise you'll be a better portraitist when you're done than
you are now.тАЭ

Page gave Morse a sideways look. Page's back was rigid and his hands were clenched in trembling fists.
Brady could almost feel his friend's rage. тАЬI paint.тАЭ Page spoke with a slow deliberation. тАЬI have no need
for what will clearly become a poor man's art.тАЭ

Morse did not seem offended by Page's remark. тАЬAnd you, young Brady. Will you use your drive to