"Kate Wilhelm - And the Angels Sing" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wilhelm Kate)

"I know. Six rows of alligator teeth, or poison fangs, or mind rays."

She giggled. "Maybe right now there's a hidden camera taking in all this. Remember that old TV
show?"

"Maybe -they- sent her to test us, our reaction to -them-.

Mary Beth sat up straight. "My God, more of them?"

"No species can have only one member," he said very seriously. "A counterproductive trait." He
realized that he was quite drunk. "Coffee," he said, and pulled himself out of the chair, made his
way unsteadily to the kitchen.

When he had the coffee ready, and tuna sandwiches, and sliced onions and tomatoes, he found Mary
Beth leaning against the bedroom door contemplating the girl.

"Maybe it's dying," she said in a low voice. "We can't just let it die, Eddie."

"We won't," he said. "Let's eat something. It's almost daylight."

She followed him to the kitchen and looked around it. "I've never been in your house before. You
realize that? All the years I've known you, I've never been invited here before."

"Five years," he said.

"That's what I mean. All those years. It's a nice house. It looks like your house should look, you
know?"

He glanced around the kitchen. Just a kitchen, stove, refrigerator, table, counters. There were
books on the counter, and piled on the table. He pushed the pile to one side and put down plates.
Mary Beth lifted one and turned it over. Russet colored, gracefully shaped, pottery from North
Carolina, signed by Sara. She nodded, as if in confirmation.

"You picked out every single item individually, didn't you?"

"Sure. I have to live with the stuff."

"What are you doing here, Eddie? Why here?"



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"The end of the world, you mean? I like it."

"Well, I want the hell out. You've been out and chose to be here. I choose to be out. That thing
on your bed will get me out." She bit into a sandwich.