"Joan D. Vinge - Psiren" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vinge Joan D)

to make you happy to see a psion in control, strong, proud.тАЭ

тАЬShe wasnтАЩt in control; she was afraid! She was there out of fear, need,
helplessness, compulsion ...тАЭ JuleтАЩs knuckles whitened against the cup. тАЬAll that and
more, inside the pretty lies. Cat, I know what you felt last night, and how much it
meant to you. But inside she was screaming, she couldnтАЩt stop it; and I couldnтАЩt
listen to it.тАЭ Her body shud-dered, and soup spilled.

I lowered my own cup slowly onto the desktop. тАЬI donтАЩt believe it.тАЭ But Jule
wouldnтАЩt lieтАФwasnтАЩt lying. I shook my head. тАЬWhy?тАЭ

тАЬI donтАЩt know.тАЭ

тАЬThen if anybody ever needed our help, she does. But she appears and
disappearsтАФhow can we reach her?тАЭ

тАЬThere is a way,тАЭ meaning mind to mind. She took a deep breath. тАЬBut I canтАЩt
face it, Cat. I canтАЩt block her sending. And IтАЩm not even sure sheтАЩd listen. ThereтАЩs
something else she needs more.тАЭ Her hand moved in an empty circle through the air.

тАЬDoes that mean you wonтАЩt try?тАЭ My hands tightened.

тАЬIt means that I want someone else to try. Someone she might respond to,
whoтАЩs protected from whatтАЩs inside her.тАЭ

Me. I was the one she meant. There was something I might be able to do that
no one else here could. . . .

There was a knock at the door. Jule called, тАЬCome in,тАЭ and Mim came in. She
looked from Jule to me and back again. Mim was a telepath, a student psi tech; she
could have told Jule anything she needed to without ever opening the door. But they
did it the hard way, because of me.

тАЬWhat now, Mim?тАЭ Jule looked tired suddenly.

Mim rubbed her hands on her pants, frowning. тАЬThereтАЩs a Corpse out front,
who wants to speak to Whoever Runs this Freakhouse. HeтАЩs going to ask us about
corporate crime and using psionics for brainwashing. HeтАЩs also scared weтАЩll rape his
mind while heтАЩs here.тАЭ Her mouth twitched, her blue-green eyes were as cold as the
sea.

тАЬAll right: IтАЩll make him feel like weтАЩre all angels.тАЭ Jule pushed her head into
her hands, leaning on the desktop. тАЬCorporate Security looking for blood, thatтАЩs all
we need. Damn it! Why donтАЩt the deadheads leave us alone? . . . Cat, where are you
going?тАЭ She called after me as I started for the door.
 тАЬHunting.тАЭ I pushed past Mim and went out.

****

I spent the rest of the day, and as much time as I could steal of the days that