"Smith-SlowboatMan" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith Adam)

It saddened me to think that in the centuries to come I might never find it
again.

"I'm glad you decided to come and say good-bye," he said. "I was hoping you
would."

I gently touched his arm. "You know I wanted to when --"

He waved me quiet. "Don't. You did what you had to do."

My head was spinning and I wanted to ask him a thousand questions: How he knew?
What he knew?

But instead I just sat beside him on the bed and stared at him. After a moment
he laughed.

"Now say good-bye properly," he said. "Then be on your way. I overheard the
doctor telling one of the nurses that I might not make it through the night and
I don't want you here when I leave. Might not be a pretty sight."

I just shook my head at him. I had seen more death than he could ever imagine,
but I didn't want to tell him that.

A long spell of coughing caught him and he half sat up in bed with the pain. I
stroked his forehead and he calmed and worked to catch his breath. Alter a
moment he said, "I loved it when you used to do that to me. Always thought it
was one of your nicer gifts to me, even though I never understood just how or
what you did."

Again he laughed lightly at what must have been my shocked look. Even after all
these years, even with very little force behind it, his laugh could still
gladden my heart, make me smile, ease my worries. Again this time it took only a
moment before I smiled and then laughed with him.

"Now be on your way," he said. "The nurse will be here shortly and I have a long
journey to make into the next world. I'm ready to go, you know? Actually looking
forward to it. You would too if you had an old body like this one."

I nodded and stood. "Good-bye, my Slowboat Man." I leaned down and kissed him
solidly on his rough, chapped lips.

"Good-bye, my beautiful wife."

He smiled at me one last time and I smiled back, as I always had.

Then I turned and headed for the door. I knew that I had to leave immediately,
because if I didn't I never would. But this time he wanted me to go. I wasn't
running away.