"Connie Willis - Fire Watch" - читать интересную книгу автора (Willis Connie)

posted the watches for the next two weeks. We stand every one together.

September 30 -I know what happened in September. Langby told me.
Last night in the choir, putting on our coats and boots, he said, "They've already tried once,
know."
I had no idea what he meant. I felt as helpless as that first day when he asked me if I was from
ayarpee.
"The plan to destroy St. Paul's. They've already tried once. The tenth of September. A
explosive bomb. But of course you didn't know about that. You were in Wales.
I was not even listening. The minute he had said, "High explosive bomb," I had remembered
It had burrowed in under the road and lodged on the foundations. The bomb squad had trie
defuse it, but there was a leaking gas main. They decided to evacuate St. Paul's, but Dean Matt
refused to leave, and they got it out after all and exploded it in Barking Marshes. Instant
complete retrieval.
"The bomb squad saved her that time," Langby was say-ing. "It seems there's always someb
about."
"Yes," I said. "There is," and walked away from him.

October 1 -I thought last night's retrieval of the events of September tenth meant some so
breakthrough, but I have been lying here on my cot most of the night trying for Nazi spies i
Paul's and getting nothing. Do I have to know exactly what I'm looking for before I can rememb
What good does that do me?
Maybe Langby is not a Nazi spy. Then what is he? An arsonist? A madman? The crypt is h
conducive to thought, being not at all as silent as a tomb. The chars talk most of the night and
sound of the bombs is muffled, which somehow makes it worse. I find myself straining to hear t
When I did get to sleep this morning, I dreamed about one of the tube shelters being hit, br
mains, drown-ing people.

October 4 -I tried to catch the cat today. I had some idea of persuading it to dispatch the m
that has been terrifying the chars. I also wanted to see one up close. I took the water bucket I
used with the stirrup pump last night to put out some burning shrapnel from one of the anti-air
guns. It still had a bit of water in it, but not enough to drown the cat, and my plan was to clam
bucket over him, reach under, and pick him up, then carry him down to the crypt and point hi
the mouse. I did not even come close to him.
I swung the bucket, and as I did so, perhaps an inch of water splashed out. I thoug
remembered that the cat was a domesticated animal, but I must have been wrong about that.
cat's wide complacent face pulled back into a skull-like mask that was absolutely terrifying, vic
claws extended from what I had thought were harmless paws, and the cat let out a sound to to
chars.
In my surprise I dropped the bucket and it rolled against one of the pillars. The cat disappe
Behind me, Langby said, "That's no way to catch a cat."
"Obviously," I said and bent to retrieve the bucket.
"Cats hate water," he said, still in that expressionless voice.
"Oh," I said and started in front of him to take the bucket back to the choir. "I didn't know tha
"Everybody knows it. Even the stupid Welsh."

October 8 -We have been standing double watches for a week-bomber's moon. Langby d
show up on the roofs, so I went looking for him in the church. I found him standingby the
doors talking to an old man. The man had a newspaper tucked under his arm and he handed
Langby, but Langby gave it back to him. When the man saw me, he ducked out. Langby