"Island of Dr Death by Gene Wolfe" - читать интересную книгу автора (Nebula Award Stories 6)

match so that you can eat and read by its open door.
When the cereal is gone you drink the sweet milk and
crumbs in the bottom of the bowl and start a pot of coffee,
knowing that will please Mother. Jason comes down,
dressed but not wanting to talk; drinks coffee and makes
one piece of cinnamon toast in the oven. You listen to him
leave, the stretched buzzing of the car on the road, then
go up to Mother's room.
She is awake, her eyes open looking at the ceiling, but
you know she isn't ready to get up yet. Very politely, be-
cause that minimizes the chance of being shouted at, you
say, "How are you feeling this morning, Mama?"
She rolls her head to look. "Strung out. What time is it,
Tackie?"
You look at the little folding .clock on her dresser.
"Seventeen minutes after eight."
"Jason go?"
"Yes, just now. Mama."
She is looking at the ceiling again. "You go back down-
stairs now, Tackie. I'll get you something when I feel
better."
Downstairs you put on your sheepskin coat and go out
on the veranda to look at the sea. There are gulls riding
the icy wind, and very far off something orange bobbing
in the waves, always closer.
A life raft. You run to the beach, jump up and down
and wave your cap. "Over here. Over here."
The man from the raft has no shirt but the cold doesn't
seem to bother him. He holds out his hand and says,
"Captain Ransom," and you take it and are suddenly
taller and older; not as tall as he is or as old as he is, but
taller and older than yourself. "Tackman Babcock, Cap-
tain."
"Pleased to meet you. You were a friend in need there a
minute ago."
"I guess I didn't do anything but welcome you ashore."
"The sound of your voice gave me something to steer
for while my eyes were too busy watching that surf. Now
you can tell me where I've landed and who you are."
You are walking back up to the house now, and you ex-
plain to Ransom about you and Mother, and how she
doesn't want to enroll you in the school here because she
is trying to get you into the private school your father
went to onoe. And after a time there is nothing more to
say, and you show Ransom one of the empty rooms on the
third floor where he can rest and do whatever he wants.
Then you go back to your own room to read.
"Do you mean that you made these monsters?"
"Made them?" Dr. Death leaned forward, a cruel
smile playing about his lips. "Did God make Eve,