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The Stars My Destination ( Tiger! Tiger! ) :: Bester Alfred
Страница: 155 из 164There was the taste of a strand of cool pearls in his mouth. His crossed kaleidoscopic senses could not tell him where he was, but he knew he wanted to remain in this Nowhere forever.
«Hello, Gully.»
«Who's that?»
«This is Robin.»
«Robin?»
«Robin Wednesbury that was.»
«That was?»
«Robin Yeovil that is.»
«I don't understand. Am I dead?»
«No, Gully.»
«Where am I?»
«A long, long way from Old St. Pat's.»
«But where?»
«I can't take the time to explain, Gully. You've only got a few moments here.»
«Why?»
«Because you haven't learned how to jaunte through space-time yet. You've got to go back and learn.»
«But I do know. I must know. Sheffield said I space-jaunted to 'Nomad' six hundred thousand miles.»
«That was an accident then, Gully, and you'll do it again . . .after you teach yourself. . .But you're not doing it now. You don't know how to hold on yet. . . how to turn any Now into reality. You'll tumble back into Old St. Pat's in a moment.»
«Robin, I've just remembered. I have bad news for you.»
«I know, Gully.»
«Your mother and sisters are dead.»
«I've known for a long time, Gully.»
«How long?»
«For thirty years.»
«That's impossible.»
«No it isn't. This is a long, long way from Old St. Pat's. I've been waiting to tell you how to save yourself from the fire, Gully. Will you listen?»
«I'm not dead?»
''No.''
«I'll listen.»
«Your senses are all confused. it'll pass soon, but I won't give the directions in left and right or up and down. I'll tell you what you can understand now.»
«Why are you helping me . . . after what I've done to you?»
«That's all forgiven and forgotten, Gully. Now listen to me. When you get back to Old St. Pat's, turn around until you're facing the loudest shadows. Got that?»
«Yes.»
«Go toward the noise until you feel a deep prickling on your skin. Then stop.»
«Then stop.»
«Make a half turn into compression and a feeling of falling. Follow that.»
«Follow that.»
«You'll pass through a solid sheet of light and come to the taste of quinine. That's really a mass of wire. Push straight through the quinine until you see something that sounds like trip hammers. You'll be safe.»
«How do you know all this, Robin?»
«I've been briefed by an expert, Gully.
«Hello, Gully.»
«Who's that?»
«This is Robin.»
«Robin?»
«Robin Wednesbury that was.»
«That was?»
«Robin Yeovil that is.»
«I don't understand. Am I dead?»
«No, Gully.»
«Where am I?»
«A long, long way from Old St. Pat's.»
«But where?»
«I can't take the time to explain, Gully. You've only got a few moments here.»
«Why?»
«Because you haven't learned how to jaunte through space-time yet. You've got to go back and learn.»
«But I do know. I must know. Sheffield said I space-jaunted to 'Nomad' six hundred thousand miles.»
«That was an accident then, Gully, and you'll do it again . . .after you teach yourself. . .But you're not doing it now. You don't know how to hold on yet. . . how to turn any Now into reality. You'll tumble back into Old St. Pat's in a moment.»
«Robin, I've just remembered. I have bad news for you.»
«I know, Gully.»
«Your mother and sisters are dead.»
«I've known for a long time, Gully.»
«How long?»
«For thirty years.»
«That's impossible.»
«No it isn't. This is a long, long way from Old St. Pat's. I've been waiting to tell you how to save yourself from the fire, Gully. Will you listen?»
«I'm not dead?»
''No.''
«I'll listen.»
«Your senses are all confused. it'll pass soon, but I won't give the directions in left and right or up and down. I'll tell you what you can understand now.»
«Why are you helping me . . . after what I've done to you?»
«That's all forgiven and forgotten, Gully. Now listen to me. When you get back to Old St. Pat's, turn around until you're facing the loudest shadows. Got that?»
«Yes.»
«Go toward the noise until you feel a deep prickling on your skin. Then stop.»
«Then stop.»
«Make a half turn into compression and a feeling of falling. Follow that.»
«Follow that.»
«You'll pass through a solid sheet of light and come to the taste of quinine. That's really a mass of wire. Push straight through the quinine until you see something that sounds like trip hammers. You'll be safe.»
«How do you know all this, Robin?»
«I've been briefed by an expert, Gully.