el.angeleyes-第125节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　She　moved　closer　to　him。　〃Why　not？〃
　〃You'll　think　I'm　weak。〃　He　lifted　his　head　up。　The　sunlight　struck　him。　〃I'm　not　weak；　you　know。〃　
　〃I　know。　Dad。〃　She　watched　him。　〃Don't　you　think　it's　important　I　understand　who　you　are？〃
　He　looked　at　her　finally。　〃Why　did　you　do　it？　Why　did　you　run　away？''
　Tori　was　still　for　some　time。　〃I　left　because　I　was　stifling　here。　Everything　was　so　unreal；　the　parties；　the　money；　the　people。　It　got　so　I　was　lost　in　it　all…lost　in　the　glitter　of　the　forest。　Don't　you　see；　Dad；　I　had　to　go　far　enough　away　to　find　a　space　for　myself　that　wasn't　cluttered　by　all　of　this。''
　〃You　hated　it　here；　didn't　you？〃
　〃No。〃　Tori　shook　her　head。　〃Don't　think　that。　I　was　so　lost；　I　couldn't　possibly　have　known　what　it　was　I　felt。　Try　to　understand；　Dad。　Only　time　could　allow　me　to　do　that。〃
　Ellis　Nunn　looked　into　his　daughter's　angel　eyes。　〃I'll　never　forget。　You　were　such　a　beautiful　baby。　You　used　to　love　to　crawl　across　me　and；　laughing；　pound　your　tiny　fists　against　my　chest。〃　So　it　was　true；　there　were　other　things　beside　his　childhood　in　Russia　that　he　remembered　with　fondness。　He　sniffed；　rubbed　his　nose。　〃We　never　let　each　other　inside；　did　we？　Why　was　that；　do　you　think？〃
　〃Maybe　we　were　always　too　much　alike。　We　each　had　expectations；　and　they　were　unfulfilled　because　they　were　unrealistic。〃
　Ellis　Nunn　thought　about　that　for　some　time；　then　he　nodded。　〃You　were　always　a　smart　girl；〃　he　said。
　〃That　was　your　doing。　Dad；〃　Tori　said。
　Ellis　Nunn　reached　out　for　his　daughter；　crushed　her　against　him。
　〃Dobro　pcjalovatz；　Papa；〃　Tori　said。　Wele　home。
　Gregory　Nunn　was　sleeping　on　Arbat's　back。　Irina　floated　beside　him。　The　worst　was　over。　Valeri　and　his　White　Star　Moscow　contingent　had　managed　to　keep　a　semblance　of　order　as　they　rounded　up　the　conspirators。
　One　of　Valeri's　men　had　been　killed　by　a　KGB　colonel　in　Lefortovo　before　control　had　been　effected　by　the　firing　of　a　MAND。　That　had　gotten　everyone's　attention。　Another　had　been　wounded　in　the　course　of　subduing　a　Red　Army　general。　Valeri　was　now　locked　away　with　the　premier；　trying　to　hammer　out　the　preliminary　guidelines　to　a　promise。
　Irina　watched　the　play　of　light　as　it　softly　touched　the　Hero's　face。　She　wanted　very　much　to　be　with　him；　but　he　had　been　so　exhausted；　and　he　seemed　so　close　to　a　state　of　grace　that　she　did　not　want　to　wake　him。　But　perhaps　her　thoughts　betrayed　her；　because　at　that　moment　his　eyes　opened。
　Irina　felt　the　opalescent　light　from　his　gaze　caress　her　like　gentle　sunlight。
　〃Did　you　sleep　as　well？〃　he　asked。
　〃A　little。　Mostly；　I　was　watching　you　sleep。〃　She　was　so　aware　of　him；　it　almost　hurt。　〃Do　you　miss　your　sister？〃
　〃Yes；〃　he　said。　〃But　I　miss　other　things　more。〃
　Irina　nodded。　〃I　understand。〃
　〃I　know　you　do。〃
　〃I　wonder；〃　she　said；　〃whether　they　will　let　me　go　with　you。〃
　〃If　I　ask　it；　how　can　they　refuse？〃
　〃But　I　have　no　training。〃
　〃I　will　train　you　myself。〃　He　laughed。　〃I　hope　you　aren't　claustrophobic。''
　Irina　said　seriously；　〃How　can　you　be　so　sure　they　will　expend　the　time　and　money　to　send　us　back　there？〃
　Gregory　Nunn　shrugged。　〃Human　nature。　It　isn't　a　matter　of　speculation；　you　know。　They　can't　help　themselves。　Once　they　assimilate　what　it　was　I　encountered　up　there　in　space　between　the　stars；　they　will　have　no　other　choice。　Man's　innate　curiosity　is　well…documented。''
　In　the　pool；　beside　them；　Arbat　stirred。　She　rolled；　gazing　up　at　them　with　an　eye　like　black　ice。　She　gave　a　little　call；　which　Greg　echoed。　She　rolled　back　over。
　Irina　said；　〃What　will　we　find　up　there？〃
　''Do　you　really　want　to　know　before　we　get　there？''
　〃Yes。〃
　There　was　silence　for　a　time；　and　Irina；　able　now　to　differentiate　the　natures　of　silence；　felt　this　one　accumulating　like　golden　weights　upon　a　scale。　She　could　discern　in　Greg's　face　a　light　like　the　sun　rising　in　the　desert：　clear　and　radiant；　an　illumination　from　which　nothing　could　be　hidden。　She　felt　her　love　for　him　and　for　the　enigma　he　had　discovered　enfolding　them　both　like　the　eternal　cloak　of　the　cosmos。　A　joy　filled　her；　his　joy　as　well　as　hers；　and　she　knew　what　he　would　say　before　he　said　it。
　〃We　will　find　time。〃　Greg　gave　her　his　slow；　enigmatic　smile。　〃Time　enough　for　the　patience　of　angels。〃
1