visited Glamis Castle in Scotland. And as I looked out across the Highlands... ...I felt as if I had come home. Your grandmother had remarkable green eyes. Every Howard woman has had green eyes, except my mother and me. How well do you remember your mother? Very well. I loved her very much. I can remember her face smiling down at me, and I can remember her voice and her scent. But mostly I remember Nana, who raised me after my mother died. That's beautiful. It's a family heirloom, in the Howard clan for generations. It's supposed to symbolise the Howard spirit. Wherever they go, the shining light to guide them through their fortune. Nana always kept it lit. I remember sitting here, listening to ghost stories, with only the candle burning. - You should take it with you. - I think I will. - I'm going back to the ship. - You don't have to leave. I thought you'd like some time alone. See you later. Thanks. Who's there? What are you doing? Get out of my house. Don't be so high and mighty, Beverly Howard Crusher. I've spent more time here than you have. How do you know who I am? I'm Ned Quint. I took care of your grandmother's house. Nana never mentioned you. There's lots she didnae talk about. Let me get rid of that candle. Why? It brought nothing but misery to your grandmother. Look, I don't know what your relationship was, but this is my house and my things. That candle's been a curse on your family for generations. If you have any sense, you'll do away with it. Give it to me. This is a family heirloom. I intend to keep it. Would you please get out of my house? Now! Howard women, always the same stubborn fools. I wash my hands of it now. You stay on in this house and keep that damn candle. I'll not be responsible for what happens. Get out. The colony's aqueduct system is functioning, as are the communication relays. We've been having tremors. Could you check the seismic stabilisers? Certainly. You can't imagine afternoon tea while the earth is shaking. Governor, did you know you had a fluctuation in your weather control? No. Our weather control's worked perfectly for 22 years. I can't isolate the source, but the fluctuation seems to originate from one of the substations regulating humidity. - Will this be a problem? - Not yet. But power-distribution patterns are off by five percent. I suggest we analyse weather patterns to see if they are affected. I am reading unusually high humidity across the southern desert. There is increasing cloud above the northern coast, possibly the formation of a storm system. Storm? It's the middle of summer. We don't have rain now. Let's correct this. I'll check out the climatic-flow array. I will run a diagnostic on the thermal regulators. - Don't worry. We'll keep you dry. - I hope so. There's a caber toss tomorrow afternoon. I'd hate to see it spoiled by an unexpected downpour. You wouldn't believe what I read in my grandmother's journals. She had a lover. Can you believe that? Nana was 100 years old. It seems that the Howard women have vigorous libidos. I certainly hope so. I hope I can find a handsome young man in his thirties when I'm 100. - Thirties? - Yes. According to these journals, his name is Ronin and he's 34 years old. They met just after my great-grandmother's death. I think I saw him. A handsome man tossed a camellia onto her grave. But the strange thing is, she never mentioned him in her letters. Never once. Yet it appears they spent almost all their time together. It's as if she led an entire life that I knew nothing about. It looks as if we'll be on Caldos for a few days more. This will be a good opportunity to get her affairs in order. Thank you. Thirties. Beverly. You dreamt you were in bed with someone? Not exactly. I was in bed, but there wasn't another person in my dream. It was more like a presence. - You said you felt a touch. - ------------------------------ Читайте также: - текст Мимолётная фантазия на английском - текст Карлсон вернулся на английском - текст Анна Каренина на английском - текст Мой телохранитель на английском - текст Отель "У погибшего альпиниста" на английском |