"Thomas E. Sniegoski - Aerie" - читать интересную книгу автора (Sniegoski Thomas E)

"Look at me,"the whispers hissed."Look at meand remember our time together."

Alastor turned back to the television. A dogfood commercial was showingтАФa small humanchild playing
with puppies.
"No matter how often I see you, it neversatisfies your need," the fallen angel grumbled,wondering
offhandedly how the dog food would taste.

"And it never shall. I will not allow you to forget what we once were."

"Even if that is whatI desire?" he asked, hisattention drawn to an ad for the talk show thatwould follow
Reggie and Katie. The show's topicwould be crib death, and he smiled with thesecret knowledge of
things that the simplehuman brain could barely begin to perceive. If hewere so inclined, he could tell them
all why theirbabies die in the night. If he were so inclined.

"I have no interest in your desire,"said thevoice from the basement."Come and look uponme or I shall
taunt you all the rest of the day and wellinto the night."

Reggie and Katie returned, and it took all thestrength that Alastor could muster to pull hiseyes from the
entertaining visuals. "If I spendtime with you now, you'll not bother me for theremainder of this day?" he
asked, shamblingcloser to the kitchen.

"Yes, come and look."

Alastor lurched into the kitchen, gasping for breath as he propelled himself toward the cellardoor, eager
for the promise of blissful silence.

"Anything for some peace," he growled, inhis mind planning his television viewing for theremainder of the
day.

His sweatpants began to slip below hismiddle, and he reached down to pull the elasticwaistband up over
his protruding stomach.

"Peace. An unattainable pursuit since our fallfrom Heaven; do you ever think we'll experience itsbliss
again?"the bothersome voice asked throughthe door as Alastor took hold of the knob andturned it, a
cool dampness wafting up frombelow as he pulled the cellar door open.

"I'vefound my own peace," he said irritably,leaning on the rail to carefully descend thewooden steps that
creaked in protest beneath his weight. "Is it what I knew in Heaven? No, but I will never see the likes of
that again."

He stood at the bottom of the stairs andglanced around, surveying his accumulation ofgoods, items he
had acquired in the years sincedeciding he would live as a human. There wasfurniture, enough to fill
multiple dwellings;boxes of books, clothes, and kitchen implements;tools; cans of paint; three
lawnmowers; at leastfour televisions still in their boxes; and so much more stored away out of sight.

Alastor remembered when he had made thechoice. The Powers were on the hunt, and heknew that it
was only a matter of time beforethey found him. It was all about survival, so hedid the unthinkable.

"That was your second fall,"the creeping voicespoke from within the room, pulling him from the past.