JК
The Stars My Destination ( Tiger! Tiger! ) :: Bester Alfred
Страница: 136 из 164We've found each other.» Suddenly she laughed and held out her arms. «I'm arguing when there's no need for words. Come to me, my love. . . . Wherever you are, come to me. . . .»
He touched her and then put his arms around her. He found her mouth and devoured her. But he was forced to release her.
«What is it, Gully darling?»
«I'm not a child any more,» he said wearily. «I've learned to understand that nothing is simple. There's never a simple answer. You can love someone and loathe them.»
«Can you, Gully?»
«And you're making me loathe myself.»
«No, my dear.»
«I've been a tiger all my life. I trained myself. . . educated myself pulled myself up by my stripes to make me a stronger tiger with a longer claw and a sharper tooth. . . quick and deadly. . .
«And you are. You are. The deadliest.»
«No. I'm not. I went too far. I went beyond simplicity. I turned myself into a thinking creature. I look through your blind eyes, my love whom I loathe, and I see myself. The tiger's gone.»
«There's no place for the tiger to go. You're trapped, Gully; by Dagenham, Intelligence, my father, the world.»
«I know.»
«But you're safe with me. We're safe together, the pair of us. They'll never dream of looking for you near me. We can plan together, fight together, destroy them together. . .»
«No. Not together.»
«What is it?» she flared again. «Are you still hunting me? Is that what's wrong? Do you still want revenge? Then take it. Here I am. Go ahead. destroy me.»
«No. Destruction's finished for me.»
«Ah, I know what it is.» She became tender again in an instant. «It's your face, poor darling. You're ashamed of your tiger face, but I love it. You burn so brightly for me. You burn through the blindness. Believe me. . .»
«My God! What a pair of loathsome freaks we are.»
«What's happened to you?» she demanded. She broke away from him, her coral eyes glittering. «Where's the man who watched the raid with me? Where's the unashamed savage who…”
«Gone, Olivia. You've lost him. We both have.»
«Gully!»
«He's lost.»
«But why? What have I done?»
«You don't understand, Olivia.»
'Where are you?» she reached out, touched him and then clung to him. «Listen to me, darling. You're tired. You're exhausted. That's all. Nothing is lost.» The words tumbled out of her. «You're right. Of course you're right. We've been bad, both of us. Loathsome. But all that's gone now. Nothing is lost.
He touched her and then put his arms around her. He found her mouth and devoured her. But he was forced to release her.
«What is it, Gully darling?»
«I'm not a child any more,» he said wearily. «I've learned to understand that nothing is simple. There's never a simple answer. You can love someone and loathe them.»
«Can you, Gully?»
«And you're making me loathe myself.»
«No, my dear.»
«I've been a tiger all my life. I trained myself. . . educated myself pulled myself up by my stripes to make me a stronger tiger with a longer claw and a sharper tooth. . . quick and deadly. . .
«And you are. You are. The deadliest.»
«No. I'm not. I went too far. I went beyond simplicity. I turned myself into a thinking creature. I look through your blind eyes, my love whom I loathe, and I see myself. The tiger's gone.»
«There's no place for the tiger to go. You're trapped, Gully; by Dagenham, Intelligence, my father, the world.»
«I know.»
«But you're safe with me. We're safe together, the pair of us. They'll never dream of looking for you near me. We can plan together, fight together, destroy them together. . .»
«No. Not together.»
«What is it?» she flared again. «Are you still hunting me? Is that what's wrong? Do you still want revenge? Then take it. Here I am. Go ahead. destroy me.»
«No. Destruction's finished for me.»
«Ah, I know what it is.» She became tender again in an instant. «It's your face, poor darling. You're ashamed of your tiger face, but I love it. You burn so brightly for me. You burn through the blindness. Believe me. . .»
«My God! What a pair of loathsome freaks we are.»
«What's happened to you?» she demanded. She broke away from him, her coral eyes glittering. «Where's the man who watched the raid with me? Where's the unashamed savage who…”
«Gone, Olivia. You've lost him. We both have.»
«Gully!»
«He's lost.»
«But why? What have I done?»
«You don't understand, Olivia.»
'Where are you?» she reached out, touched him and then clung to him. «Listen to me, darling. You're tired. You're exhausted. That's all. Nothing is lost.» The words tumbled out of her. «You're right. Of course you're right. We've been bad, both of us. Loathsome. But all that's gone now. Nothing is lost.