"Kristine Kathryn Rusch - The Room of Lost Souls" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rusch Kristine Kathryn)

He ordered food for themтАФan astonishing meal for a place this
remote. Yet he didnтАЩt enjoy the meal. He picked at it, letting much of it go to
waste. She couldnтАЩtтАФshe hadnтАЩt had a meal this good since sheтАЩd been
stationed here.

But he waited until she was finished before he spoke.
 тАЬHow do you do it?тАЭ he asked. тАЬHow do you save lives when you know
theyтАЩll just go to waste?тАЭ

She didnтАЩt understand what he meant. тАЬGo to waste?тАЭ

тАЬMost of your patients here, theyтАЩll get sent back out and theyтАЩll die out
there. Or theyтАЩll go home and they wonтАЩt be the same. Their families will no
longer know them. Their lives will be different.тАЭ

тАЬBut not wasted,тАЭ she said.

He kept picking at the food. He wouldnтАЩt look at her. тАЬHow do you
know?тАЭ

тАЬHow do you?тАЭ she asked.

He shrugged.

тАЬMost of these soldiers I see, theyтАЩre children,тАЭ she said. тАЬTheyтАЩll go
home and remake their lives.тАЭ

He shrugged again. тАЬWhat about career military?тАЭ

She set her own fork down and pushed her plate away. She realized
then she had to pay attention to this conversation, that it seemed to be
about one thing and was really about another.

тАЬAre you worried about whatтАЩll happen to you after the ceremonies?тАЭ
she asked.

He shook his head, but he still didnтАЩt look up. He was developing a
bald spot near his crown, and he hadnтАЩt paid for enhancements. The small
circle of skin made him seem vulnerable in a way sheтАЩd never noticed
before.

тАЬThis isnтАЩt about me,тАЭ he said, but she didnтАЩt believe him.

тАЬYou can stay in the military,тАЭ she said. тАЬThey need planners. Even in
peacetime, theyтАЩll need a standing army. Governments always do.тАЭ

тАЬSeriously, Nola,тАЭ he said with some irritation. тАЬItтАЩs not about me.тАЭ

тАЬWhat is it about then?тАЭ she asked.
 He shook his head again. The movement was small, almost