"Kate Wilhelm - The Girl Who Fell into the Sky" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wilhelm Kate)

The Girl Who Fell Into
The Sky
by Kate Wilhelm
This well-known and highly respected authorтАЩs last
tale in IASFM, тАЬThe Gorgon FieldтАЭ (August 1985). was a
Nebula award finalist. That story evoked a powerfully
haunting feeling for the land. тАЬThe Girl Who Fell into the
SkyтАЭ takes place in another part of the countryтАФon the
Great Plains of the MidwestтАФbut that same magnificent
sense of awe is also integral to listening. Ms, WilhelmтАЩs
most recent science fiction novel, HuysmanтАЩs Pets, was
published by Bluejay Books last January, and they will
be bringing forth a mystery novel, The Hamlet Trap, next
February.


His father was a MacLaren, his mother a MacDaniel, and for
forty years John had been the one thrust between them when they
fought. Today they stood glaring at each other, through him,
around him, his mother with her flashing green eyes and red hair
that she now dyed (exactly the same color it always had been), his
father with his massive face set in a scowl, thick white eyebrows
drawn close together over his long nose.
тАЬIтАЩll take an axe to the wheels first!тАЭ she said in a low, mean
voice.
тАЬSince when do I let you tell me what I can or canтАЩt do?тАЭ
тАЬKnock it off, both of you!тАЭ John MacLaren yelled. тАЬFor GodтАЩs
sake! ItтАЩs a hundred and five! YouтАЩll both have heart attacks!тАЭ
тАЬNo one asked you to butt in, either,тАЭ his father snapped, not
shifting his glare from his wife.
She tilted her head higher and turned, marched from the room. тАЬI
asked him,тАЭ she called back. тАЬJohnny, you want a gin and tonic?тАЭ
тАЬPlease,тАЭ he said quietly. тАЬDad, what the hell is it all about?тАЭ
The room was green and white, cool, with many growing plants,
everything neat and well cared for. The entire house was like this,
furnished in good pieces, each one an investment: Hepplewhite
chests, Duncan Phyfe chairs, pieces over two hundred years old
that had come from Scotland, or France, or England. David
MacLaren was the collector; Mary accepted it, even encouraged it
sometimes, but she would not walk across the street to add to the
assortment that had accumulated over the forty-five years they had
been married.
Now that the argument had been stopped by MaryтАЩs departure,
David MacLaren smiled at his son, waved toward a wicker
arrangement near a window and led the way to it. He seated
himself with a soft grunt, then waited until John was seated
opposite him.
тАЬMade the mistake of telling her I plan to take a spin over to the
Castleman house tomorrow, pick up that player piano and bring it
home. You know, I told you about it, first one to cross the