"Connie Willis - Daisy, in the Sun" - читать интересную книгу автора (Willis Connie)

Ron was sitting at one of the tables that were covered with the heavy worn white damask of dining cars.
The vase and dull silver on the table were heavy so they would not fall off with the movement of the train.
Ron leaned back in his chair and looked out the window at the snow.

Daisy sat down across the table from him. Her heart was beating painfully in her chest. тАЬHi,тАЭ she said.
She was afraid to add his name for fear the word would trail away as it had before and he would know
how frightened she was.

He turned and smiled at her. тАЬHello, Daisy-Daisy,тАЭ he said.

She hated him with the same sudden intensity she had felt for her parents, hated him for his ability to
make her afraid.

тАЬWhat are you doing here?тАЭ she asked.

He turned slightly in the seat and grinned at her.
тАЬYou donтАЩt belong here,тАЭ she said belligerently. тАЬI went to Canada to live with my grandmother.тАЭ Her
eyes widened. She had not known that before she said it. тАЬI didnтАЩt even know you. You worked in the
grocery store when we lived in California.тАЭ She was suddenly overwhelmed by what she was saying.
тАЬYou donтАЩt belong here,тАЭ she murmured.

тАЬMaybe itтАЩs all a dream, Daisy.тАЭ

She looked at him, still angry, her chest heaving with the shock of remembering. тАЬWhat?тАЭ

тАЬI said, maybe youтАЩre just dreaming all this.тАЭ He put his elbows on the table and leaned toward her. тАЬYou
always had the most incredible dreams, Daisy-Daisy.тАЭ

She shook her head. тАЬNot like this. They werenтАЩt like this. I always had good dreams.тАЭ The memory was
coming now, faster this time, a throbbing in her side where the pink and white book said her ovaries
were. She was not sure she could make it to her room. She stood up, clutching at the white tablecloth.
тАЬThey werenтАЩt like this.тАЭ She stumbled through the milling people toward her room.

тАЬOh, and Daisy,тАЭ Ron said. She stopped, her hand on the door of her room, the memory almost there.
тАЬYouтАЩre still cold.тАЭ

тАЬWhat?тАЭ she said blankly.

тАЬStill cold. YouтАЩre getting warmer, though.тАЭ

She wanted to ask him what he meant, but the memory was upon her. She shut the door behind her,
breathing heavily, and groped for the bed.



All her family had had nightmares. The three of them sat at breakfast with drawn, tired faces, their eyes
looking bruised. The lead-backed curtains for the kitchen hadnтАЩt come yet, so they had to eat breakfast
in the living room where they could close the Venetian blinds. Her mother and father sat on the blue
couch with their knees against the crowded coffee table. Daisy and her brother sat on the floor.