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

trying to bring up the readings. I glance at the handheld screen. The image
is still there, faint and reassuring. Just a blur in all the fuzz.

Karl is moving forward.

But I know better than to tell Roderick everything will be all right. I
glance at Mikk through the clear porthole.

HeтАЩs holding the lead and waiting, just like heтАЩs supposed to. And
good man that he is, he isnтАЩt even peering in the door.

HeтАЩs following orders to the letter.

Static, a buzz, and an harmonic. A voice? I canтАЩt tell. Roderick is still
working the instrument panel and IтАЩm staring through the window at the door
beyond.

All I see is blackness.

Karl is probably seeing lights. Hearing voices in harmony. Listening to
the blend.

I hope the device protects him.

My arms tighten. My stomach aches. I feel ill.

I catch myself about to curse Karl for being right about my reactions.
But IтАЩm superstitious. I canтАЩt curse him. Not now.

Not while weтАЩre waiting for him to come out of that Room.

****
 We wait for an hour. Then an hour and a half.

Then two.

At two hours ten minutes, Mikk asks, тАЬShould I reel him in?тАЭ

We havenтАЩt had any contact. We donтАЩt have any readings.

Karl is the kind of diver who never wastes a second, the kind who is
always on time.

тАЬHow much oxygen does he have without the refills?тАЭ I ask Roderick.

тАЬFive, maybe six hours, so long as heтАЩs breathing right. He didnтАЩt think
he needed the larger storage, since the skip was so close.тАЭ

I would have made the same judgment. My suit can handle two
weights of oxygen as well. The back-ups are in case the internal supply