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

running through my hands. Reality was no oneтАЩs dream in Oldcity. Suddenly I knew
why IтАЩd never made this trip, why IтАЩd stayed like a monk in a monastery at the
Center since IтАЩd come back hereтАжsuddenly I was wondering why the hell IтАЩd done
it now.

A hand was on my arm, but Jule was drifting ahead beyond my reach. I
turned, wanting to see a stranger; the past looked me straight in the face. The hand
ran down my sleeve, a heavy hand with sharp heavy rings; the soft ugly mouth
opened, showing me filed teeth. тАЬDear boy,тАЭ it said, тАЬyou look familiar.тАЩтАЩ

тАЬI donтАЩt know you.тАЭ Panic choked me.

тАЬBoy ...тАЭ wounded.

тАЬGet away!тАЭ I jerked free, ran on through the phantoms of flesh until I collided
with Jule.

She steadied me, staring at me and past me, frightened. (WhatтАЩs wrong?)

тАЬNothinтАЭ. ItтАЩs nothing. I justтАФтАЭ I shook my head, swal-lowed, тАЬGhosts.тАЭ

Without another word she took my arm and pulled me through incense and
pearls: The nearest door took our credit rating and fell open, letting us past into the
reality. And suddenly there was no floor beneath us, no walls, no ceiling; just an
infinity of deepening blue like the evening sky, shot with diamond chips of light
tracking away toward an endless horizon. Our feet moved over a yielding surface
that didnтАЩt exist for my eyes, and with every step my body came closer to the dizzy
brink where my mind swayed now. But we reached a low table, with seats like cloud;
all around us other cloudsitters watched us walk on air. The sound of their voices,
their laughter, was dim and distant. Patternless music flowed into the void, a choir of
spirit voices weaving their conversation into its fabric.

As we settled at the table a slow mist rose, curling between us; I felt it tingling
against the skin of my face, rising deeper into my head with every breath. The
pungent cold of glissen was in it, along with a flavor I couldnтАЩt name, that made my
mouth water. You could get arrested for this out on the street. My hands were
trembling on the transparent table surface; I watched the trembling ease as the glissen
began to make me calm. тАЬWhat is this place?тАЭ I took deeper breaths, letting it work.

тАЬItтАЩs called Haven.тАЭ Jule was still searching the room with her eyes. She
sighed, as if her inner sight saw only peace and quiet. She looked back at me. тАЬI
thought you needed one.тАЭ

I smiled, half a grimace, pulling at a curl behind my ear. тАЬI didnтАЩtтАФdidnтАЩt
know it wouldтАФcome back at me like this. Like ... I donтАЩt know.тАЭ I looked up again.
тАЬIтАЩve never been in one of these places. Never.тАЭ My eyes traveled. тАЬMaybe thatтАЩs
the problem. EverythingтАЩs changed for me, Jule, but I donтАЩt believe it. I could leave
OldcityтАФтАЭ My hand clenched.

She didnтАЩt answer, only looked at me with her storm-colored eyes, until I