"John Varley - The Ophiuchi Hotline" - читать интересную книгу автора (Varley John)

The cold water made me gasp and choke, but some of the grogginess washed away. For the first time
in that dizzy few minutes I could think straight. More than anything in the world I wanted to sleep,
but things were happening too fast, and seemed to be out of my control.
Tweed! That was his name. What was he doing out there in the other room, talking to someone who
looked exactly like me, in my own cell? And the tank. Had I died? I woke up in a vat, which had to
mean that I had died. But I was under a death sentence; I shouldn't be waking up ever again.
I pushed my face under the cold stream. Stay awake, stay awake. Something important is happening
and you're being left out. I sputtered and gasped, slapping my face and legs and shoulders. I thought
I saw it now, and it was dirty, rotten; so bad I couldn't believe it. But I had to.
I stumbled and fell against the wall of the shower. The woman guard took my arm and pulled me to
my feet. My eyes wouldn't focus. I struck out at her, but she was big and alert and the blow didn't
land. Then I was screaming, lashing out.




file:///F|/rah/John%20Varley/John%20Varley%20-%20The%20Ophiuchi%20Hotline.htm (8 of 152) [8/28/03 1:12:01 PM]
The Ophiuchi Hotline by John Varley

She came running out of the bathroom, pursued by the man and woman. The man grabbed her, but
she was slippery and powerful with hysterical strength. She got away, kicking at him with her bare
heels as they grappled on the floor, then scrambling on her hands toward the woman in the chair. She
screamed again.
Banging hard into a table as she tried to get to her feet, she toppled and fell loosely in front of the
couch where Tweed sat. The man reached her and started to haul her away, but Tweed held up his
hand.
"Let her alone," he said. "I think this is her room, after all." He looked at Lilo, sitting in frozen
fascination. She couldn't seem to drag her eyes away from the woman on the floor. "That is, unless
you want it."
Lilo tore her eyes from the clone. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat.
The clone was looking at her again. The fear on her face was almost too much for Lilo to bear. To
accept Tweed's offer would be to condemn this woman to death. She didn't want to think about that.
But the clone was looking at Tweed now, and Lilo could almost hear her mind working. She gripped
the edge of the couch and got to her knees.
"I don't know what you were talking about," she said, "but I think you should tell me. I know I'm not
up to date; I just woke up. Things have been happening, I can see that. I got the stay of execution,
right? She's who I think I am, but six months later, right?"
"That's right," Tweed said, and smiled at her.
Lilo felt a chill pass through her, and realized she was afraid of the clone. She did not want Tweed
smiling at her. There was no reason to think Tweed had a preference; the clone might do as well for
his purposes as the original. Nothing said she had to be the one saved just because she was older.
"Whatever the deal is," the clone was saying, "I can be just as good at—"
"I'll take the job," Lilo said, as loudly as she could. Tweed looked at her.
"Are you sure?"
The clone was looking dully from one to the other.
"Yes." She swallowed, hard. "Yes. Kill her. Let me live."