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The Stars My Destination ( Tiger! Tiger! ) :: Bester Alfred
Страница: 115 из 164Bible smuggling and martyrdom for the faith. Can't you ever face up to anything?»
«Don't you ever run away?»
«Never. Escape is for cripples. Neurotics.»
«Neurotics. The favorite word of the Johnny-Come-Lately educated. You're so educated, aren't you? So poised. So balanced. You've been running away all your life.»
«Me? Never. I've been hunting all my life.»
«You've been running. Haven't you ever heard of Attack-Escape? To run away from reality by attacking it . . . denying it . . . destroying it? That's what you've been doing?'
«Attack-Escape?» Foyle was brought up with a jolt. «You mean I've been running away from something?»
«Obviously.»
«From what?»
«From reality. You can't accept life as it is. You refuse. You attack it try to force it into your own pattern. You attack and destroy everything that stands in the way of your own insane pattern.» She lifted her tearstained face. «I can't stand it any more. I want you to let me go.»
«Go? Where?»
«To live my own life.»
«What about your family?»
«And find them my own way.»
«Why? What now?»
«It's too much. . . you and the war. . . because you're as bad as the war. Worse. What happened to me tonight is what happens to me every moment I'm with you. I can stand one or the other; not both.»
«No,» he said. «I need you.»
«I'm prepared to buy my way out.»
«How?»
«You've lost all your leads to 'Vorga,' haven't you?»
«And?»
«I've found another.»
«Where?»
«Never mind where. Will you agree to let me go if I turn it over to you?»
«I can take it from you.»
«Go ahead. Take it.» Her eyes flashed. «If you know what it is, you won't have any trouble.»
«I can make you give it to me.»
«Can you? After the bombing tonight? Try.»
He was taken aback by her defiance. «How do I know you're not bluffing?»
«I'll give you one hint. Remember the man in Australia?»
«Forrest?»
«Yes. He tried to tell you the names of the crew. Do you remember the only name he got out?»
«Kemp.»
«He died before he could finish it. The name is Kempsey.»
«That's your lead?»
«Yes. Kempsey. Name and address. In return for your promise to let me go.»
«It's a sale,» he said. «You can go. Give it to me.»
She went at once to the travel dress she had worn in Shanghai.
«Don't you ever run away?»
«Never. Escape is for cripples. Neurotics.»
«Neurotics. The favorite word of the Johnny-Come-Lately educated. You're so educated, aren't you? So poised. So balanced. You've been running away all your life.»
«Me? Never. I've been hunting all my life.»
«You've been running. Haven't you ever heard of Attack-Escape? To run away from reality by attacking it . . . denying it . . . destroying it? That's what you've been doing?'
«Attack-Escape?» Foyle was brought up with a jolt. «You mean I've been running away from something?»
«Obviously.»
«From what?»
«From reality. You can't accept life as it is. You refuse. You attack it try to force it into your own pattern. You attack and destroy everything that stands in the way of your own insane pattern.» She lifted her tearstained face. «I can't stand it any more. I want you to let me go.»
«Go? Where?»
«To live my own life.»
«What about your family?»
«And find them my own way.»
«Why? What now?»
«It's too much. . . you and the war. . . because you're as bad as the war. Worse. What happened to me tonight is what happens to me every moment I'm with you. I can stand one or the other; not both.»
«No,» he said. «I need you.»
«I'm prepared to buy my way out.»
«How?»
«You've lost all your leads to 'Vorga,' haven't you?»
«And?»
«I've found another.»
«Where?»
«Never mind where. Will you agree to let me go if I turn it over to you?»
«I can take it from you.»
«Go ahead. Take it.» Her eyes flashed. «If you know what it is, you won't have any trouble.»
«I can make you give it to me.»
«Can you? After the bombing tonight? Try.»
He was taken aback by her defiance. «How do I know you're not bluffing?»
«I'll give you one hint. Remember the man in Australia?»
«Forrest?»
«Yes. He tried to tell you the names of the crew. Do you remember the only name he got out?»
«Kemp.»
«He died before he could finish it. The name is Kempsey.»
«That's your lead?»
«Yes. Kempsey. Name and address. In return for your promise to let me go.»
«It's a sale,» he said. «You can go. Give it to me.»
She went at once to the travel dress she had worn in Shanghai.