el.angeleyes-第10部分

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　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　days。　Nothing　much　has　changed　since　then；　I　suppose；　but　us。　Well；　not　your　mother。　She　never　changes；　not　really…I　mean；　not　deep　under　the　surface。''
　The　patch　of　sunlight　illuminated　the　stone　statue　of　Diana；　a　reproduction　of　the　one　in　Mexico　City。
　Ellis　Nunn　pointed　at　it。　〃There　is　your　mother：　Diana；　the　Huntress。　Did　you　know　that　she　was　born　Diana　Leeway？　No？　I'm　not　surprised。　No　one　does。　I　can't　imagine　her　telling　you。　No　one　left　in　any　of　the　studios　now　to　recall　it；　either。　I　can't　remember　whose　idea　the　name　Laura　was。　Anyway；　the　producers　liked　the　sound　of　Laura　Nunn；　so　that's　what　she　became；　in　reality　as　well　as　on　the　screen。　Well；　as　much　as　your　mother　knows　what　reality　is。〃
　〃How　did　you　put　up　with　her　all　these　years？〃　Tori　asked。　〃You　not　only　survived；　but　thrived。〃
　〃Well；　I　don't　know　about　thriving；〃　he　said；　〃but　as　for　surviving　。　。　。〃　He　put　his　forefinger　against　his　lips；　thought　a　moment。　〃Do　you　know　the　story　of　the　Zen　Policeman？　No？　Odd；　with　all　that　time　spent　in　Japan。〃
　〃Dad…〃
　〃My　God；　Tori；　look　at　you。〃　He　only　called　her　by　her　Christian　name　when　he　was　angry　with　her。　〃You're　a　grown　woman　of　thirty…six；　and　what　do　you　have　to　show　for　it？　No　discernible　job；　let　alone　a　career。　And　as　for　starting　your　own　family…　well；　that's　something　of　a　joke；　isn't　it？　Face　it；　Tori；　you've　made　a　mess　of　everything；　and　here　you　are　standing　in　front　of　me；　while　Greg…〃　For　a　moment　he　could　not　go　on。　He　looked　apoplectic。　Then　he　seemed　to　gain　hold　of　himself。　〃You're　the　one　who　has　studied　Oriental　philosophy。　Tell　me；　why　is　it　that　Greg；　who　had　everything　going　for　him；　who　had　his　whole　life　laid　out　as　clearly　as　a　road　map；　a　career　distinguished　by…Jesus　God；　he　was　going　to　bee　one　of　the　first　two　men　to　live　in　space；　and　then　to　land　on　Mars　。　。　。　　Have　you　any　conception　of　what　that　means？〃　He　passed　a　hand　over　his　face。''Why　did　it　happen。　Tori？　Why　is　he　gone？''
　Tori　said　nothing。　What　was　there　to　say？
　〃Greg　was　destined　for　great　things；　I　knew　it　the　moment　he　was　born。''　Ellis　Nunn　seemed　drained　of　the　spasm　of　anger　that　had　gripped　him。　He　seemed　genuinely　confused。　〃Why　was　he　taken　from　us？　Your　mother　says　it's　God's　will。　Well；　if　that's　so；　then　God's　an　unforgivably　cruel　and　capricious　creature。〃
　Now　Tori　felt　the　words　ing；　she　could　not　help　herself。　〃So　that　is　what　you　think　I've　done　with　my　life：　nothing。　Well；　I'm　not　what　you　wanted　me　to　be；　an　astronaut；　stretching　the　envelope　of　space。　I'm　not　like　Greg。　You　trained　him；　he　wanted　to　be　just　what　you　wanted　him　to　be。　It　was　the　perfect　union　of　generations。　You　were　so　proud　of　him。　You　understood　what　motivated　him；　Greg　was　like　an　open　book　to　you。　But　you　couldn't　fathom　why　on　earth　I　would　want　to　go　to　Japan　to　study。　Of　course　you　couldn't。　You've　spent　all　your　adult　life　here　in　L。A。；　in　many　ways　as　far　from　global　politics　and　economics　as　Fiji。　This　is　the　original　land　of　Nod；　and　you　built　yourself　Diana's　Garden；　a　dream　within　the　dreamland　of　L。A。　Is　it　any　wonder　that　yon　have　no　conception　of　what　makes　me　tick？　'Japan；'　I　remember　you　saying。　'What　the　hell　could　be　so　damn　important　in　Japan？'　You　never　understood。　You　never　wanted　to。〃　She　shook　her　head。　〃I　must　be　such　a　disappointment　to　you。〃
　Her　father　was　studying　the　last　of　the　sunlight　as　it　slid　down　the　folds　of　Diana's　stone　robe。　He　had　that　faraway　look　on　his　face　he　sometimes　had　during　long　meetings　at　the　office；　as　if　he　were　there　only　in　body；　not　in　spirit。　It　was　a　sad　look；　as　well；　so　similar　to　the　one　she　had　caught　in　the　corners　of　Greg's　face　now　and　again　when　he　was　sure　no　one　was　watching　him。
　Tori　put　her　head　down。　Too　late　she　remembered　her　promise　to　her　mother　not　to　start　a　fight　with　her　father。　What　did　it　matter？　she　thought。　This　isn't　about　me　or　my　father…it　never　was。　It's　about　Greg。　It's　always　been　about　Greg；　and　there's　nothin