el.angeleyes-第12部分

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space　suits　with　the　special　bined　NASA…СССР　logo；　as　they　headed　toward　the　launch　pad　at　the　Tyuratam/Baykonur　cosmodrome　in　Russia。　In　the　background　it　was　possible　to　make　out　the　gigantic　launch　vehicle；　the　SL…17　Energiya　with　its　six　strap…on　booster　rockets。
TYURATAM；　USSR；　May　17　（АР）…History　was　made　today　as　American　astronaut　Gregory　Nunn　and　Soviet　cosmonaut　Viktor　Shevchenko　successfully　lifted　off　in　their　Odin…Galaktika　II　module　from　this　cosmodrome　deep　inside　the　Soviet　Union　on　the　first　leg　of　what　is　hoped　will　be　mankind's　first　manned　exploration　of　the　planet　Mars。
So　vast　and　expensive　was　this　undertaking　that　the　two　major　superpowers　decided　to　pool　their　technological　resources　in　the　effort。　NASA　officials　had　been　on　site　here　for　more　than　a　year　in　preparation　for　this　event。　。　。　。
　Tori　stopped　reading；　she　knew　the　events　by　heart。　She　returned　to　the　photo　of　Greg　and　Viktor　Shevchenko；　and　was　struck　again　by　how　similar　their　faces　were；　both　handsome；　strong；　confident；　as　if　spacemen　were　a　breed　apart；　unconcerned　by　the　petty　differences　of　race　or　nationalism。　But　then　again　Greg；　like　Tori；　was　of　Russian　heritage。　She　thought　that　somehow　ironic　now。
　How　proud　she　had　been　of　Greg　that　day。　She　had　been　glued　to　the　television；　watching　the　great　white　plume　fill　the　bright　blue　Soviet　sky　until　the　space　vehicle　was　a　mere　point　of　light；　glittering　like　a　star。　Reluctantly；　she　folded　the　photo　away。
　Tori　had　known　what　the　second　newspaper　clipping　would　be　even　before　she　saw　the　reproduction；　blurred　by　the　newsprint　paper；　of　Greg's　official　NASA　photo。　Perversely；　she　forced　herself　to　begin　reading。
MOSCOW；　Dec。　11　（АР）…Gregory　Nunn；　the　American　astronaut　teamed　with　his　Soviet　counterpart；　cosmonaut　Viktor　Shevchenko；　was　declared　officially　dead；　it　was　jointly　reported　by　the　Soviet　news　agency　Tass　and　American　diplomatic　personnel　Friday。
　Mr。　Nunn　had　been　one　half　of　the　historic　American…Soviet　effort　piloting　the　Odin…Galaktika　II　module　in　the　first　manned　attempt　for　a　landing　on　the　planet　Mars。　That　mission　was　aborted　six　weeks　ago　when　〃an　event　of　unknown　origin〃　apparently　killed　Mr。　Nunn　and　severely　damaged　the　Odin…Galaktika　II　module。
　With　the　successful　reentry　of　the　damaged　space　vehicle；　and　its　subsequent　recovery　just　after　midnight　yesterday　morning；　officials　were　able　to　verify　Mr。　Nunn's　death。　There　is　no　word　yet　as　to　the　condition　of　Mr。　Shevchenko；　although　it　is　known　that　he　survived　the　flight。
　A　severe　winter　storm　in　the　Black　Sea　splashdown　area　hampered　rescue　operations　following　the　Odin…Galaktika　II's　emergency　landing；　and；　for　a　time；　it　was　feared　that　the　module　would　be　lost　at　sea。　However；　the　Soviet　heavy　cruiser；　Potemkin；　was　called　in　when　smaller　ships　began　to　　founder　in　the　heavy　seas　and　near…zero　visibility　。。。
　''Dear　God；''　Tori　whispered；　jamming　the　news　articles　back　in　their　niche。　Abruptly；　she　could　no　longer　bear　to　look　at　the　bannered　walls；　the　shining　trophies；　the　photographs　of　who　she　had　been　and；　in　part；　must　still　be。
　Suffocating；　she　got　out　of　there　as　quickly　as　she　could。　She　leaned　against　the　closed　door；　breathing　hard　in　the　hallway；　in　the　presence　only　of　the　power…laden　Florentines　of　old　and　of　her　own　memories。
　Late　in　the　day；　with　the　California　sun　slipping　through　the　ornamental　lime　trees　and　the　oleander；　Tori　was　summoned　to　meet　her　father。　As　she　walked　through　the　familiar　gardens　she　wondered　at　how　quickly　the　spell　of　this　place　had　overtaken　her。　It　was　already　difficult　to　focus　on　the　world　outside；　to　think　that　anything　existed　outside　this　self…contained；　all…enpassing　environment。　Just　like　old　times。
　Ellis　Nunn　was　waiting　for　her　at　the　near　end　of　the　sturdy　teak　pergola　he　had　had　built　beside　the　Olympic…size　swimming　pool。　It　was　overhung　with　knotty　twists　of　white　and　lavender　wisteria。　Wisteria　was　a　tough；　drought…resistant　plant　whose　beauty　Ellis　Nunn　could　admire。
　He　smiled　when　he　saw　her；　embraced　her　hard　in　his　typical　bearlike　way。　〃Hello；　Angel。〃　At　least　he　hadn't　spoken　to　her　in　Russian；　as　he　often　did　despite　Tori's　protests…〃so　you　will　not　forget　where　your　family　was　born；〃　as　he　used　to　say。　He　smelled　of　tobacco　and　cologne；　a　pleasant　mixture　that　Tori　remembered　from　years　past。
　Despite　the　fact　that　Ellis　Nunn　tried　hard　to　be　very　American；　he　was　invariably　taken　for　a　native　in　Europe。　He　had　the　kind　of　Nordic　good　looks　bined　with　a　typical　Slavic　thickness　which　marked　him　as　a　Russian　on　the　Continent；　where　such　things　still　mattered。
　Tori's　father　had　changed　his　name　before　he　applied　for　admission　to　Stanford。　It　was　not　then　the　power　university　it　eventually　would　be；　but　in　any　event；　he　received　an　outstanding　education。　He　became　Ellis　Nunn　not　so　much　because　he　was　ashamed　of　his　real　name；　but　because　he　loved　America　so　much　that　he　longed　for　what　he　thought　of　as　an　American　name。　Tori　still　did　not　know　what　an　American　name　might　be。
　He　was　a　big　man；　exceptionally　fit　despite　nearing　seventy；　　he　worked　out　in　his　pool　every　day　for　an　hour　and　a　half。　his　hair　was　more　gray　than　blond　now；　but　it　was　just　as　thick　as　had　been　when　he　was　a　young　man。　his　vaguely　almond…shaped　gray　eyes　were　set　on　a　slight　slant。　his　wide　mouth　could　be　as　expressive　as　a　edian's。　The　oddest　feature　of　his　face　was　his　nose；　which；　to　Tori's　way　of　thinking；　did　not　fit　with　the　rest　of　his　Russian　features。　　No　wonder…Ellis　had　had　it　redone　in　his　youth　to　be　the　very　paradigm　of　an　Anglo…Saxon　nose。　Again；　vanity　had　little　to　do　with　the　change；　his　desire　to　fit　into　American　society　did。　Ellis　Nunn　was　a　man　of　light；　the　man　of　light；　some　said。　He　had　taken　his　father's　light　bulb　manufacturing　business　and；　with　the　knowledge　he　absorbed　at　Stanford；　brought　it　west；　in　the　process　turning　it　into　the　largest　and　most　innovative　creator　of　film　illumination。　If　you　needed　low　light　to　film　by；　dazzling　light　to　illuminate　a　gigantic　set；　spectacular　lights　to　augment　explosions；　lights　to　simulate　night　or　any　time　of　the　day；　delicate；　fairy…tale　twinklings　to　highlight　a　love　scene；　you　called　Ellis　Nunn's　This　Magic　Moment。　his　panies　extended　into　almost　every　part　of　the　globe　that　was　a　filmmaking　center：　Italy；　France；　Spain；　even　Hong　Kong。　Today；　his　puter…generated　networks　of　lights　could　do　literally　anything　and　everything　Hollywood　could　ask　of　them；　especially　now　that　he　had　the　latest　laser　technology　from　his　own　R&D　department　to　draw　on。
　his　work　had　made　him　rich　in　his　own　right。　He　was　not；　and　never　had　been；　one　of　the　sad　Bel　Air　bassets；　as　they　were　cruelly　known：　husbands　of　movie　stars　who　lived　off　their　wives'　breathtaking　ines。
　As　they　strolled　under　the　pergola。　Tori　thought　of　all　the　times　she　had　seen　her　father　walking　here　with　Greg；　wondering　what　it　was　the　two　men　were　speaking　of；　wondering　why　she　had　only　rarely　been　granted　the　privilege　of　walking　and　talking　like　this　with　her　father；　and　never　here　beneath　the　twining　wisteria；　Ellis　Nunn's　favorite　spot。
　They　reached　a　patch　of　sunlight　and　Ellis　Nunn　stopped。　As　if　divining　her　thoughts；　he　said；　〃Do　you　know　why　I　love　it　here　in　my　pergola？　Because　here　no　one　can　see　me；　no　one　can　hear　me。〃　He　laughed。　〃There　are　too　many　people　padding　around　my　house。〃　He　shrugged；　began　to　walk　again。〃Well；　there's　no　sense　in　fighting　it。　That's　how　it's　always　been。　Your　mother's　doing。　Personally；　I　can't　abide　strangers　in　the　house。　Who　knows　where　they　are　and　what　they're　really　up　to　when　they　're　out　of　sight。〃　He　grinned　at　her。　〃They　don't　know　what　I'm　up　to　when　I'm　here；　out　of　their　sight。''
　〃Does　that　include　Mom？〃
　〃Of　course　it　does；〃　he　said。　〃She's　the　nosiest　of　the　lot。　Trouble　with　her　is　she　wants　to　run　everything。　Can't　do　it；　no　one　can；　but　she's　never　learned。　Not　surprised。　She's　never　been　good　with　the　basics。　That's　why　she　needs　all　these　people；　really。　Her　mind's　on　other；　more　esoteric　matters。　Who　she'll　be　today。　Flexing　those　prodigious　emotional　muscles　of　hers。　Miss　Emotional　Universe。　I　used　to　call　her　that　in　the　old　da