"Robert Charles Wilson - Divided by Infinity" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wilson Robert Charles)

The stairway was dim. Dust balls quivered on the risers and clung
to the threadbare coco-mat tread. At the top was a door silted
under so many layers of ancient paint that the molding had
softened into gentle dunes.
Ziegler opened the door and waved me in.
His room was lined with books. He stepped back, settled
himself into an immense overstuffed easy chair, and invited me to
look at his collection. But the titles at eye level were disappointing.
They were old cloth volumes of Gurdjieff and Ouspenski,
Velikovsky and CrowleyтАФthe usual pseudo-gnostic spiritualist
bullshit, pardon my language. Like the room itself, the books
radiated dust and boredom. I felt obscurely disappointed. So this
was Oscar Ziegler, one more pathetic old man with a penchant for
magic and cabalism.
Between the books, medical supplies: inhalers, oxygen tanks,
pill bottles.
Ziegler might be old, but his eyesight was still keen. тАЬJudging
by the expression on your face, you find my den distasteful.тАЭ
тАЬNot at all.тАЭ
тАЬOh, fess up, Mr. Keller. YouтАЩre too old to be polite and IтАЩm
too old to pretend I donтАЩt notice.тАЭ
I gestured at the books. тАЬI was never much for the occult.тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs understandable. ItтАЩs claptrap, really. I keep those
volumes for nostalgic reasons. To be honest, there was a time when
I looked there for answers. That time is long past.тАЭ
тАЬI see.тАЭ
тАЬNow tell me why you came.тАЭ
I showed him the softcover books, told him how IтАЩd taken
them to Niemand for a professional assessment. Confessed my
own bafflement.
Ziegler took the books into his lap. He looked at them briefly
and took a long drag from his oxygen mask. He didnтАЩt seem
especially impressed. тАЬIтАЩm hardly responsible for every volume that
comes into the store.тАЭ
тАЬOf course not. And IтАЩm not complaining. I just
wonderedтАФтАЭ
тАЬIf I knew where they came from? If I could offer you a
meaningful explanation?тАЭ
тАЬBasically, yes.тАЭ
тАЬWell,тАЭ Ziegler said. тАЬWell. Yes and no. Yes and no.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩm sorry?тАЭ
тАЬThat isтАж no, I canтАЩt tell you precisely where they came
from. Deirdre probably bought them from someone off the street.
Cash or credit, and I donтАЩt keep detailed records. But it doesnтАЩt
really matter.тАЭ
тАЬDoesnтАЩt it?тАЭ
He took another lungful from the oxygen bottle. тАЬOh, it could
have been anyone. Even if you tracked down the original
vendorтАФwhich I guarantee you wonтАЩt be able to doтАФyou wouldnтАЩt
learn anything useful.тАЭ