wt.theyearofthequietsun-第43节

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　　Chaney　turned　the　keys　in　the　locks　and　pushed　out　into　the　chill　night　air。　The　darkness　surprised　him；　he　hadn't　realized　he'd　spent　so　many　bittersweet　hours　inside　with　Katrina。　The　parking　lot　was　empty　but　for　the　cart　and　his　discarded　rifle。　Katrina's　children　hadn't　waited　for　him；　and　he　was　aware　of　a　small　hurt。
　　He　stepped　away　from　the　building　and　then　turned　back　to　look　at　it：　a　massive　white　concrete　temple　in　the　moonlight。　The　barbaric　legions　had　failed　to　bring　it　down；　despite　the　damage　caused　elsewhere　on　the　station。
　　The　sky　was　the　second　surprise：　he　had　seen　it　by　day　and　marveled；　but　at　night　it　was　shockingly　beautiful。　The　stars　were　bright　and　hard　as　carefully　polished　gems；　and　there　were　a　hundred　or　a　thousand　more　than　he'd　ever　seen　before；　he　had　never　known　a　sky　like　that　in　his　lifetime。　The　entire　eastern　rim　of　the　heavens　was　lighted　by　a　rising　moon　of　remarkable　brilliance。
　　Chaney　stood　alone　in　the　center　of　the　parking　lot　searching　the　face　of　the　moon；　searching　out　the　Sea　of　Vapors　and　the　pit　known　as　Bode's　Crater。　The　pulsating　laser　there　caught　his　eye　and　held　it。　That　one　thing　had　not　changed…that　one　monument　not　destroyed。　The　brilliant　mote　still　flashed　on　the　rim　of　Bode's　Crater；　marking　the　place　where　two　astronauts　had　fallen　in　the　Seventies；　marking　their　grave　and　their　memorial。　One　of　them　had　been　black。　Brian　Chaney　thought　himself　lucky：　he　had　air　to　breathe　but　those　men　had　none。
　　He　said　aloud：　〃You　weren't　so　damned　clever；　Ibycus！　You　missed　that　one…your　prophets　didn't　show　you　the　new　sign　in　the　sky。〃
　　Chaney　sat　down　in　the　tilted　cart　and　stretched　out　his　legs　for　balance。　The　rifle　was　an　unpleasant　lump　under　his　spine　and　he　threw　it　aside　to　be　rid　of　it。　In　a　little　while　he　leaned　backward　and　rested　against　the　bed　of　the　cart。　The　whole　of　the　southeast　sky　was　before　him。　Chaney　thought　he　should　go　looking　for　Katrina；　for　Arthur　and　Kathryn；　and　a　place　to　sleep。　Perhaps　he　would　do　that　after　a　while；　but　not　now；　not　now。
　　The　stray　thought　came　that　the　engineers　had　been　right　about　one　thing：　the　polywater　tank　hadn't　leaked。
　　Elwood　Station　was　at　peace。