"Dan Simmons - A Winter Haunting" - читать интересную книгу автора (Simmons Dan)

from Duane McBrideтАЩs farmhouse.

TWO

INEVERleft Illinois during my eleven years of life, but from what IтАЩve seen of Montana through DaleтАЩs
eyes, it is an incredible place. The mountains and rivers are unlike anything in the MidwestтАФmy uncle Art
and I used to enjoy fishing in the Spoon River not far from Elm Haven, but it hardly qualifies as тАЬriverтАЭ
compared to the wide, fast, rippling rivers like the Bitterroot and the Flathead and the Missouri and the
Yellowstone. And our lazy sitting on a bank and watching bobbers while we chatted hardly qualifies as
тАЬfishingтАЭ compared to the energetic fly-fishing mystique in Montana. IтАЩve never tried fly-fishing, of course,
but I suspect that I would prefer our quiet, sit-in-the-shade, conversational creekside approach to
catching fish. IтАЩm always suspicious of sports or recreational activities that begin to sound like religion
when you hear their adherents preaching about them. Besides, I doubt if there are any catfish in those
Montana rivers.

DaleтАЩs corner office on the campus of the University of Montana, his former family home in the old
section of Missoula, and his ranch near Flathead Lake are all alien to me but fascinating. MissoulaтАФfor a
city of only about 50,000 peopleтАФseems cordial to the things I probably would have loved had I lived to
be an adult: bookstores, bakeries, good restaurants, lots of live music, a very decent university, movie
and live drama theaters, a vibrant downtown section.
DaleтАЩs psychiatrist, a man named Charles Hall, had his office over one of these older used bookstores.
Dale had been seeing Dr. Hall for the last ten months before his trip back here. Dale had first visited the
psychiatrist two days after he had set the muzzle of the loaded Savage over-and-under shotgun against
his temple and pulled the trigger.

Dr. HallтАЩs office was small but comfortableтАФbooks, artwork on the wall, a window looking out onto
leaves, a desk off to one side, and two worn leather chairs facing each other with a small glass table
between. The table held only a pitcher of ice water, two clean glasses, and a box of Kleenex. Dale had
needed the Kleenex only on his third visit, when heтАЩd had a spring cold.

During their last session in mid-October, the leaves had been red outside the windows and Dr. Hall had
been concerned about DaleтАЩs decision to spend the winter in Illinois. Eventually, however, the subject
changed from emergency phone numbers and the necessity of DaleтАЩs getting in contact with another
doctor to provide the necessary antidepressants and sleeping pills.

тАЬYou understand that I strongly advise against your plan to spend the winter alone in Illinois,тАЭ said Dr.
Hall.

тАЬNoted,тАЭ said Dale.

тАЬDoes my advice make any difference?тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩm spending a hundred and twenty-five dollars an hour for it,тАЭ said Dale.

тАЬYouтАЩre spending a hundred and twenty-five dollars an hour for therapy,тАЭ said Hall. тАЬTo talk. Or in your
case, Dale, not so much to talk, but to get the prescriptions you need. But youтАЩre still going to spend the
next ten months or so alone in Illinois.тАЭ

тАЬYes,тАЭ said Dale. тАЬBut only nine months. The usual gestation period.тАЭ