"Barry Longyear - Silent Her" - читать интересную книгу автора (Longyear Barry)

Again the white light crawled up the wall. As it moved, Silent determined that Hard Mouth
would never pinch Silent again. To do that Silent would have to stop Hard Mouth. To stop Hard
Mouth Silent would have to hurt Hard Mouth. If Hard Mouth put a hand near Silent, instead of
Hard Mouth pinching Silent, Silent would pinch Hard Mouth.
Silent held a hand up. The fingers were much smaller than Hard Mouth's fingers. Silent tried to
pinch the arm that was always in pain, but the pinching didn't hurt.
Silent stuck a finger in the mouth, bit it hard, and Silent's eyes filled with tears. That hurt. Silent
determined to bite Hard Mouth's fingers. That would stop Hard Mouth.



·····



There was the sound. Silent listened carefully. It was Kind Lips and Hard Mouth, yet something
different. There were other sounds.
A third figure appeared. It was horribly pink and naked. It had no black mist shading its features,
and it had no hair on its head. Hard Mouth and Kind Lips both wore coverings of black. Shiny
Head's coverings were pale yellow. Shiny Head stood at one foot next to Kind Lips.
Silent looked and there was another one standing there. The new one had no black mist, but the
new one did have light brown hair. Instead of black or yellow, Hairy Head's coverings were pale
green.
Kind Lips raised a hand and moved fingers at Shiny Head. Shiny Head frowned at the moving
fingers and said to Hairy Head, "Minister Amin, I do not read Mogam." Amazing sounds.
"I thought everyone read it, save a few fanatics," replied Hairy Head. "Not that I'm implying
you're a fanatic, of course."
"Of course," answered Shiny Head.
Hairy Head leaned over and lifted the cover from Silent. "My first wife signed that you should
look at my second wife's daughter's right arm, Father Yadin. Look here."
Shiny Head moved in front of Hard Mouth, bent over, and reached toward Silent. His fingers
were cold and moist as they picked up the arm and turned it. The arm hurt.
"This bruising is terrible!" Shiny Head stood up and turned toward Hard Mouth. "Woman, don't
you understand? You are causing your daughter terrible pain. This could cause permanent
damage. Do you understand?" Shiny Head turned toward Kind Lips. "Does she understand
anything?"
Kind Lips nodded and looked up at Hairy Head. Kind Lips moved fingers at Hairy Head for a
long time.
Hairy Head said, "She understands."
"Forgive me, Minister Amin, but I'm certain that she signed more."
"Yes. She did." Hairy Head seemed to struggle his words out from a great pain. "My second wife
believes the child can speak. The reason she pinches her is to make her give voice. She's trying to
force the child to cry out."
Shiny Head frowned as he looked first at Hard Mouth, then down at the child. After a moment he
looked up at Hairy Head. "How long has this been going on? Some of these bruises are weeks
old."
Hairy Head disappeared from view. His voice came from a distance. "Since the child was born."
Hairy Head's face came back into view. He looked at Hard Mouth with angry eyes.