"Sheri S. Tepper - After Long Silence" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tepper Sherri)

knew about." He breathed, letting the pain wash over and away. "When she wasn't afraidтАФshe wasn't at
all like the Celcy you always saw. I wanted her not to have to be so тАж so clinging. But I loved her. I got
impatient sometimes, but so much of it was my fault. I never took the time with her I should have, the
time to make her change. I just loved her!"

It came out as a strangled plea for understanding, and his mother answered it in the only way she could
to let him know she knew exactly what he meant, her voice filled with such an access of pain that his own
agony was silenced before it.

"I know, Tasmin. I loved Lim, too."

Under the circumstances, the Master General was inclined to waive discipline.

"I don't want any more unauthorized removal of manuscripts, Tasmin. I know it's often done, but the rule
against it stands. The fault wasn't proximately yours, but the responsibility was. You have been punished
by the tragedy already. Anything further would be gratuitously cruel."

Tasmin was silent for an appropriate time. He was not yet at the point where he could feel anything. He
was sure a time would come that would demonstrate the truth of what the Master General had said about
responsibility.

"Master."

"Yes, Tasmin."

"I was actually on the Enigma when it blew."

"So I've been told. You have the devil's own luck, Tasmin."

"Yes, sir. The fact is, sir, my bro тАж Lim Terr├йe was singing the Furz score. He had a portable
synthesizer, I'd swear it was an Explorer model, and he was good, sir. He really was good. I haven't
heard any better тАж "

"If you're trying to justify тАж "

"No, sir, you misunderstand. The score waseffective. It wasn't until he forgot himself and started
improvising that the Enigma blew."

"Effective!"

"Yes, sir. There wasn't a quiver. He got through the first variation and well into the second before he
deviated from the score. If they'd been able to go on down the far side, they'd have been well away." He
choked, remembering Celcy's face as she had looked joyously at the singer. "Well away, sir. Well away."

There was a long silence. "I'm fascinated, Tasmin. And quite frankly, I'm surprised and puzzled. I
remember Lim when he was here. I wouldn't have said this was in character at all. Your wife was a very
attractive girl. Could she haveтАФoh, egged him on, so to speak?"

Tasmin shook his head, "No, sir. She was terrified of the Presences. She wouldn't even look at them
through a 'scope."