[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
."Anyway," Emilio said, deciding to let her win, "what the hell are you doing alive! I said Kaddish for you!""Well, I’m very sorry, but I’m afraid you wasted a prayer for the dead—""It didn’t count anyway," he said dismissively."No minyan.""Minyan—don’t tell me you speak Aramaic now, too! What’s the count?""I’m up to seventeen, I think.I’ve picked up some Euskara, and I’ve learned how to be rude to Afrikaners." There was some static, but not much.Not too much for him to feel as though they were somehow, madly, just two old friends, talking on the phone."But no Aramaic, I’m afraid.I just memorized the prayer.""Cheater!" she said, with the familiar husky laugh now free of tears.He closed his eyes and tried not to thank God that her laugh had not changed."So, Quixote," she was saying, "have you come to rescue me?""Of course not," he replied indignantly, astounded at how well she sounded.How elated."I just stopped by for a coffee.Why? Do you need rescuing?""No, I most certainly do not.But I could really use some coffee," she admitted."It’s been a long time between buzzes.""Well, we brought plenty, but I’m afraid it’s decaf." There was an appalled silence."Sorry," he said unhappily."Nobody cleared the cargo manifest with me." The silence was now broken by little horrified noises."It was a clerical error," he told her with earnest distress."I’m really sorry.I’ll have everyone involved executed.We’ll put their heads on pointy sticks—"She started to laugh."Oh, Sandoz, I think I’ve always loved you.""No, you didn’t," he said huffily."You hated me on sight.""Did I? Well, I must have been a fool.That was a joke about the decaf, wasn’t it?" she asked warily."Would I joke about a thing like that?""Only if you thought I’d fall for it." There was a small space, and when she spoke again, it was with the kind of calm dignity that he had always admired in her."I am glad I’ve lived to speak to you again.Everything is different.The Runa are free now.You were right, Sandoz.You were right all along.God meant for us to come here."Behind him, there were the sounds of the others reacting to what she had said, and he felt John grip his shoulders and whisper fiercely, "Did you hear that, you shithead? Did you hear it?" But his own vision seemed to lose focus, and he found that he couldn’t breathe well, and lost the thread of what she was saying until he heard his name again."And Isaac?" he asked.The silence was so abrupt and went so long, he twisted in the seat to look at Frans."Connection’s still open," Vanderhelst told him quietly."Sofia?" he said."The last we heard, Isaac was very young.I didn’t mean to—""He left me a long time ago.Isaac was—.He went off on his own years ago.Ha’anala followed him and we had hoped—.But neither of them ever came back.We tried and tried to find them, but the war went on so long—""War?" Danny asked, but Sandoz was saying, "It’s all right.It’s all right, Sofia.Whatever happened—""No one expected it to go on so long! Ha’anala was—.Oh, Sandoz, it’s too complicated.When can you come down? I’ll explain everything when you get to Galatna—"It felt like a blow to the stomach."Galatna?" he asked almost inaudibly."Sandoz, are you there? Oh, my God," she said, realizing."I—I know what happened to you here.But everything is different! Hlavin Kitheri is dead.They’ve both—.Kitheri’s been dead for.years," she said, voice trailing away.But then she spoke firmly."The palace is a museum now.I live here, too—just another piece of history!"She stopped, and he tried to think, but nothing would come."Sandoz?" he heard her say."Don’t be afraid.There are no djanada south of the Garnu mountains.We-and-you-also are safe here.Truly.Sandoz, are you there?""Yes," he said, getting a grip."I’m here.""How soon can you come down? How many of you are there?"Brows up, he turned to Carlo and asked, "A week perhaps?" Carlo nodded."A week, Sofia." He cleared his throat, tried to put more strength behind his voice."We are eight here, but the ship’s pilot will stay on board.There’ll be four Jesuits and two.businessmen.And me."She missed the implication."You’ll have to land southeast of Inbrokar City to get beyond the gardens.Have you seen them? We call them robichauxs ! There are competitions for the most beautiful and productive designs, but there are no prizes, so no one gets porai.I’ll send an escort for you.It’s safe, but I don’t get around too well anymore and finding your way through the garden mazes is impossible unless you’re a Runao—
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]