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The Stars My Destination ( Tiger! Tiger! ) :: Bester Alfred
Страница: 131 из 164The Burning Man opened his tiger mouth. A grating sound emerged. It was like flaming laughter.
«She hurts,» he said.
«Who are you?» Foyle whispered.
The Burning Man winced. «Too bright,» he said. «Less light.»
Foyle took a step forward. The Burning Man clapped hands over his ears in agony. «Too loud,» he cried. «Don't move so loud.»
«Are you my guardian angel?»
«You're blinding me. Shhh!» Suddenly he laughed again «Listen to her. She's screaming. Begging. She doesn't want to die. She doesn't want to be hurt. Listen to her.»
Foyle trembled.
«She's telling us who gave the order. Can't you hear? Listen with your eyes.» The Burning Man pointed a talon finger at the writhing Skoptsy. «She says Olivia.»
«What!»
«She says Olivia. Olivia Presteign. Olivia Presteign. Olivia Presteign.»
The Burning Man vanished.
The catacombs were dark again.
Colored lights and cacophonies whirled around Foyle. He gasped and staggered. «Blue jaunte,» he muttered. «Olivia. No. Not. Never. Olivia. I…”
He felt a hand reach for his. «Jiz?» he croaked.
He became aware that Sigurd Magsman was holding on to his hand and weeping. He picked the boy up.
«I hurt,» Sigurd whimpered.
«I hurt too, son.»
«Want to go home.»
«I'll take you home.»
Still holding the boy in his arms, he blundered through the catacombs.
«The living dead,» he mumbled.
And then: «I've joined them.»
He found the stone steps that led up from the depths to the monastery cloister above ground. He trudged up the steps, tasting death and desolation. There was bright light above him, and for a moment he imagined that dawn had come already. Then he realized that the cloister was brilliantly lit with artificial light. There was the tramp of shod feet and the low growl of commands. Halfway up the steps, Foyle stopped and mustered himself.
«Sigurd,» he whispered. «Who's above us? Find out.»
«Sogers,» the child answered.
«Soldiers? What soldiers?»
«Commando sogers.» Sigurd's crumpled face brightened. «They come for me. To take me home to Nannie. HERE I AM! HERE I AM!»
The telepathic clamor brought a shout from overhead. Foyle accelerated and blurred up the rest of the steps to the cloister. It was a square of Romanesque arches surrounding a green lawn. In the center of the lawn was a giant cedar of Lebanon.