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Crashlander :: Нивен Ларри
Страница: 176 из 199At least, John and Tweena and Nathan would. They were revived in good shape?»
«Yes, of course. But the women — could they have waited for you?»
Stet: Carlos, Tanya, and Louis were all safe on Home and had left the spaceport under their own power. Feather and Sharrol — «Waited? But they'd have left a message.»
She was still looking at her screen. «Not for you, Mr. Graynor, but Mr. John Graynor has recorded a message for Mrs. Graynor … for Mrs. Adelaide Graynor.»
For Feather. «But nothing for Milcenta? But they both stayed? How strange.» Ms. Machti seemed the type of person who might wonder about other people's sexual arrangements. I wanted her curious, because this next question — «Can you show me what John had to say to Adelaide?»
She shook her head firmly. «I don't see how —»
«Now, John wouldn't have said anything someone else couldn't hear. You can watch it yourself — «Her head as still turning left, right, left. «In fact, you should. Then you can at least tell me if there's been, if, well. I have to know, don't I? If Milcenta's dead.»
That stopped her. She nodded, barely, and tapped in the code to summon Carlos's message to Feather.
She read it all the way through. Her lip curled just a bit; but she showed only solemn pity when she turned the monitor to face me.
It was a posed scene. Carlos looked like a man hiding a sickness. The view behind him could have been a manor garden in England, a tamed wilderness. Tanya and Louis were playing in the distance, hide-and-seek in and out of some Earthly tree that dripped a cage of foliage. Alive. Ever since I had first seen them frozen, I must have been thinking of them as dead.
Carlos looked earnestly out of the monitor screen. «Adelaide, you can see that the children and I arrived safely. I have an income. The plans we made together, half of us have carried out. Your own iceliner slots are still available.
«I know nothing of Mart. I hope you've heard from him, but he should never have gone sailing alone. I fear the worst.
«Addie, I can't pretend to understand how you've changed, how Mil changed, or why. I can only hope you'll both change your mind and come back to me. But understand me, Addie: you are not welcome without Milcenta. Your claim on family funds is void without Milcenta. And whatever relationship we can shape from these ashes, I would prefer to leave the children out of it.»
He had the money!
Carlos stood and walked a half circle as he spoke.
«Yes, of course. But the women — could they have waited for you?»
Stet: Carlos, Tanya, and Louis were all safe on Home and had left the spaceport under their own power. Feather and Sharrol — «Waited? But they'd have left a message.»
She was still looking at her screen. «Not for you, Mr. Graynor, but Mr. John Graynor has recorded a message for Mrs. Graynor … for Mrs. Adelaide Graynor.»
For Feather. «But nothing for Milcenta? But they both stayed? How strange.» Ms. Machti seemed the type of person who might wonder about other people's sexual arrangements. I wanted her curious, because this next question — «Can you show me what John had to say to Adelaide?»
She shook her head firmly. «I don't see how —»
«Now, John wouldn't have said anything someone else couldn't hear. You can watch it yourself — «Her head as still turning left, right, left. «In fact, you should. Then you can at least tell me if there's been, if, well. I have to know, don't I? If Milcenta's dead.»
That stopped her. She nodded, barely, and tapped in the code to summon Carlos's message to Feather.
She read it all the way through. Her lip curled just a bit; but she showed only solemn pity when she turned the monitor to face me.
It was a posed scene. Carlos looked like a man hiding a sickness. The view behind him could have been a manor garden in England, a tamed wilderness. Tanya and Louis were playing in the distance, hide-and-seek in and out of some Earthly tree that dripped a cage of foliage. Alive. Ever since I had first seen them frozen, I must have been thinking of them as dead.
Carlos looked earnestly out of the monitor screen. «Adelaide, you can see that the children and I arrived safely. I have an income. The plans we made together, half of us have carried out. Your own iceliner slots are still available.
«I know nothing of Mart. I hope you've heard from him, but he should never have gone sailing alone. I fear the worst.
«Addie, I can't pretend to understand how you've changed, how Mil changed, or why. I can only hope you'll both change your mind and come back to me. But understand me, Addie: you are not welcome without Milcenta. Your claim on family funds is void without Milcenta. And whatever relationship we can shape from these ashes, I would prefer to leave the children out of it.»
He had the money!
Carlos stood and walked a half circle as he spoke.