"Kate Wilhelm - April Fools' Day Forever" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wilhelm Kate)

kitchen and placed a call to her supplier in the city. While waiting
for the call to be completed, she heard it. The baby was in pain, she
thought, and hung up. Not until she had started for the hall door did
she realize what she was doing. She stopped, very cold suddenly.
Like before, only this time she was wide awake. She felt for the
door and pushed it open an inch or two. The sound was still there,
no louder, but no softer either. Very slowly she followed the sound
up the stairs, through the hall, into the empty room. She had been so

file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Nieuwe%20map/Kate%20Wilhelm%20-%20April%20Fools'%20Day%20Forever.htm (5 of 82)24-12-2006 2:02:20
Wilhelm, Kate - April Fools' Day Forever.htm


certain that it originated here, but now it seemed to be coming from
her room. She backed out into the hall and tried the room she shared
with Martie. Now the crying seemed to be coming from the other
bedroom. She stood at the head of the stairs for another minute, then
she ran down and tried to dial Martie's number. Her hands were
shaking too hard and she botched it twice before she got him.
Afterward she didn't know what she had said to him. He arrived an
hour later to find her sitting at the kitchen table, ashen-faced,
terrified.
"I'm having a breakdown," she said quietly. "I knew it happened to
some women when they lost a child, but I thought I was past the
worst part by now. I've heard it before, months ago." She stared
straight ahead. "They probably will want me in a hospital for
observation for a while. I should have packed, but . . . Martie, you
will try to keep me out of an institution, won't you? What does it
want, Martie?"
"Honey, shut up. Okay?" Martie was listening intently. His face was
very pale. Slowly he opened the door and went into the hall, his face
turned up toward the stairs.
"Do you hear it?"
"Yes. Stay there." He went upstairs, and when he came back down,
he was still pale, but satisfied now. "Honey, I hear it, so that means
there's something making the noise. You're not imagining it. It is a
real noise, and by God it sounds like a baby crying."
Julia built up the fire and put a stack of records on the stereo and
turned it too loud. She switched on lights through the house, and set


file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Nieuwe%20map/Kate%20Wilhelm%20-%20April%20Fools'%20Day%20Forever.htm (6 of 82)24-12-2006 2:02:20
Wilhelm, Kate - April Fools' Day Forever.htm


the alarm clock for six twenty to be certain she didn't let the hour
pass without remembering Hilary Boyle's news show. Not that she
ever forgot it, but there might be a first time, especially on this sort
of night, when she wouldn't be expecting Martie until very late, if at
all. She wished he'd call. It was four-thirty. If he could get home, he