"Alastair Reynolds - Signal to Noise" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reynolds Alastair)

as normal. I know what’s happened to you is a tragedy, and believe me I’m
as upset about it as anyone.”

“Upset,” Mick said quietly.

“Yes, upset. But I’d be lying if I said I was paralyzed with grief. I’m
human, Mick. I’m not capable of feeling great emotional turmoil at the
thought that some distant counterpart of myself got herself run over, all
because she was rushing to have her hair done. Silly cow, that’s what it
makes me feel. At most it makes me feel a bit odd, a bit shivery. But I don’t
think it’s something I’m going to have trouble getting over.”

“I lost my wife,” Mick said.

“I know, and I’m sorry. More than you’ll ever know. But if you expect
my life to come crashing to a halt…”

He cut her off. “I’m already fading. One point eight this morning.”
 “You always knew it would happen. It’s not like it’s any surprise.”

“You’ll notice a difference in me by the end of the day.”

“This isn’t the end of the day, so stop dwelling on it. All right? Please,
Mick. You’re in serious danger of ruining this for yourself.”

“I know, and I’m trying not to,” he said. “But what I was saying, about
how things aren’t going to get any better… I think today’s going to be my
last chance, Andrea. My last chance to be with you, to be with you properly.”

“You mean us sleeping together,” Andrea said, keeping her voice
low.

“We haven’t talked about it yet. That’s okay; I wasn’t expecting it to
happen without at least some discussion. But there’s no reason why…”

“Mick, I…” Andrea began.

“You’re still my wife. I’m still in love with you. I know we’ve had our
problems, but I realize now how stupid all that was. I should have called you
sooner. I was being an idiot. And then this happened… and it made me
realize what a wonderful, lovely person you are, and I should have seen that
for myself, but I didn’t… I needed the accident to shake me up, to make me
see how lucky I was just to know you. And now I’m going to lose you again,
and I’m not sure how I’m going to cope with that. But at least if we can be
together again… properly, I mean.”

“Mick…”

“You’ve already said you might get back together with the other Mick.
Maybe it took all this to get us talking again. Point is, if you’re going to get