"Jerry Oltion - Witness" - читать интересную книгу автора (Oltion Jerry)

*Witness*
by Jerry Oltion
Some lessons take a lifetime to learn -- and "lifetime" is a relative term.
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The immortal stood at the edge of the cliff, looking past the toes of his shoes to the
talus slope below. A light breeze pressed against his back. One good gust would pitch him
outward, where he would have about eight seconds to enjoy the flight before he struck the
rocks, but the weather had been mild all morning; he didn't expect nature to make his
choice for him.
Nor would the five witnesses who had accompanied him to the top. The three women
and two men sat on weathered boulders a discreet distance away, sipping water and
eating a light lunch while they waited. They were professionals; they had done this many
times. They would not speak unless spoken to, would not offer advice unless asked. They
had only one purpose: in the event that he jumped -- or lost his balance and fell -- they
were here to confirm that Richard Demmer did in fact go over the edge, rather than skip
out and start a new life somewhere else.
The pile of bleached bones at the bottom of the cliff attested to the number of people
who had taken the quick way down, but in the last few years, Richard had talked with
several would-be leapers who had walked back to civilization. He had that option.
He didn't expect to take it. He felt every minute of his three hundred and seven years
on Earth, felt them as if each one had been a coat of paint layered over his psyche, their
individual weight negligible but their accumulated tonnage enough to crush him under the
burden of his own memories. It was a common enough complaint these days. The media
called people like him "angsters."
Youngsters called them "ennuinnies" and celebrated when they opted out. They had
reason enough to celebrate: World population was stable at forty billion, but only by dint of
draconian fertility laws. Anyone who wanted a child had to inherit the birthright from
someone who died, and death had ceased being inevitable nearly a millennium ago.
The peak was too high for vultures. Either that or they knew Richard wouldn't jump. If
so, they were more certain than he. He hadn't climbed the mountain just to admire the
view. He was a family man, and his family was counting on him to do the right thing. He
had never let them down before, and he didn't plan to now.
On the other hand, he did have a few things to sort out before he jumped. A few
thoughts to put in order. He had hoped he could put his mind at ease on the way up -- one
reason he'd opted for the cliff instead of merely taking poison at home -- but the rocky
slope had taken his full concentration, and now here he stood at the edge of the
precipice, just as confused as ever.
It certainly was a nice view. Cloud Peak was the tallest of the dozen or so jagged
granite mountains that formed the backbone of the range. From the top, he could see
forested valleys stretching away in all directions, their silver streams and deep blue lakes
glittering in the sunlight. Nearer at hand, the rough gray granite glittered with sparkles of
its own, while beyond, the wilderness area came to an abrupt halt against the worldcity,
whose millions of apartment windows sparkled just as brightly. Scattered cumulus clouds
cast shadows over a few random blocks, providing more accent than shade, though
above the horizon a wall of darkness promised a storm later this afternoon. If he didn't
jump, he was likely to get wet on the way down.
 Theoretically, no one would fault him for simply going home and resuming his life, but
he knew how disappointed his granddaughter would be if he returned in one piece. She
had been anticipating this moment since he had applied for the wilderness area entrance
permit on his three hundredth birthday. She already had the name picked out for the baby.