The Good Terrorist. Doris Lessing

Читать онлайн.
Название The Good Terrorist
Автор произведения Doris Lessing
Жанр Современная зарубежная литература
Серия
Издательство Современная зарубежная литература
Год выпуска 0
isbn 9780007381685



Скачать книгу

a purse, into which she peered.

      ‘Oh never mind,’ said Alice. ‘Tell me, I’ll remember.’

      The girl said she was Monica Winters, and the hotel – which Alice knew about, all right – was the such-and-such, and her number, 556. This figure brought an image with it of concentrated misery, hundreds of couples with small children, each family in one room, no proper amenities, the squalor of it all. All elation, excitement gone, Alice soberly stood there, appalled.

      ‘I’ll ask this person to write to you,’ said Alice. ‘Meanwhile, if I were you, I’d walk around and have a look at what empty houses you can see. Take a look at them. You know. Nip inside, have a look at the amenities – plumbing and…’ She trailed off dismally, knowing that Monica was not capable of flinging up a window in an empty house and climbing in to have a look, and that, very likely, her husband was the same.

      ‘See you,’ said Alice, and turned away from the girl and went in, feeling that the 556 – at least – young couples with their spotty, frustrated infants had been presented to her by Fate, as her responsibility.

      ‘Oh God,’ she was muttering, as she made herself tea in the empty kitchen. ‘Oh God, what shall I do?’ She could easily have wept as messily and uselessly as Monica. Jasper was not here!

      She toiled up the stairs, and saw that a light showed on the landing above. She went up. Under the door of the room taken by Mary and Reggie a light showed. She forgot it was midnight and this was a respectable couple. She knocked. After stirrings and voices came, ‘Come in.’

      Alice looked in at a scene of comfort. Furniture, pretty curtains, and a large double bed in which Mary and Reggie lay side by side, reading. They looked at her over their books with identical wary expressions that said, ‘Thus far and no further!’ A wave of incredulous laughter threatened Alice. She beat it down, while she thought, These two, we’ll see nothing of them, they’ll be off…

      She said, ‘Mary, a girl has just turned up here, she’s desperate; she’s in Shaftwood Hotel, you know…’

      ‘Not in our borough,’ said Mary instantly.

      ‘No, but she…’

      ‘I know about Shaftwood,’ said Mary.

      Reggie was examining his hand, back and front, apparently with interest. Alice knew that it was the situation he was examining; he was not used to this informality, to group-living, but he was giving it his consideration.

      ‘Don’t we all? But this girl…her name is Monica…she looks to me as if she’s suicidal, she could do anything.’

      Mary said, after a pause, ‘Alice, I’ll see what there is, tomorrow, but you know that there are hundreds, thousands of them.’

      ‘Oh yes, I know,’ said Alice, and added, ‘Good-night,’ and went downstairs, thinking, I am being silly. It isn’t as if I don’t know the type. If you did find her a place, she’d muck it all up somehow. Remember Sarah? I had to find her a flat, move her in, go to the Electricity Board, and then her husband…Monica’s one of those who need a mother, someone who takes her on…An idea came into Alice’s head of such beautiful and apt simplicity that she began laughing quietly to herself.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAAA8AAD/4QN0aHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcFJpZ2h0cz0iaHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3JpZ2h0cy8iIHhtbG5z OnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0iaHR0 cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1wPSJo dHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bXBSaWdodHM6TWFya2VkPSJGYWxzZSIgeG1w TU06RG9jdW1lbnRJRD0ieG1wLmRpZDpGRTYzNTgwRjUxQUExMUUyQkZFQ0Q5MzhBQUJCNURBMyIg eG1wTU06SW5zdGFuY2VJRD0ieG1wLmlpZDpGRTYzNTgwRTUxQUExMUUyQkZFQ0Q5MzhBQUJCNURB MyIgeG1wOkNyZWF0b3JUb29sPSJBZG9iZSBQaG90b3Nob3AgQ1MyIE1hY2ludG9zaCI+IDx4bXBN TTpEZXJpdmVkRnJvbSBzdFJlZjppbnN0YW5jZUlEPSJ1dWlkOjgxNURCNzc3MzFBQjExRTI4RDJE OUM0QzBCNjVERDk4IiBzdFJlZjpkb2N1bWVudElEPSJ1dWlkOjYzNEUwMTZCQzA2NTExRTFCNEZC OTZFRDFFNDg1MzlBIi8+IDwvcmRmOkRlc2NyaXB0aW9uPiA8L3JkZjpSREY+IDwveDp4bXBtZXRh PiA8P3hwYWNrZXQgZW5kPSJyIj8+/+4ADkFkb2JlAGTAAAAAAf/bAIQABgQEBAUEBgUFBgkGBQYJ CwgGBggLDAoKCwoKDBAMDAwMDAwQDA4PEA8ODBMTFBQTExwbGxscHx8fHx8fHx8fHwEHBwcNDA0Y EBAYGhURFRofHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8fHx8f /8AAEQgDggJIAwERAAIRAQMRAf/EAMkAAQEAAQUBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgQFBgcIAwkBAQEAAgMB AAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEBQYHEAABAwIEAwUFBgIFBwgHCQEBABECAwQhMUEFURIGYXGBkQfwocEi E7HR4TIUCEJS8WIjMxVygpKycyQWosJDUzQ2FzfSY6OzdDUmg5PDRGQlVXUnGBEBAAIBAgQCBgcH BAEEAwEAAAECEQMEITESBUFRYXEiMhMGgZGhscEUNNFCUnIjMyTw4WKCFfGDNRaSsnND/9oADAMB AAIRAxEAPwD0zzPn3Bde5DIHgFllABsgFFRzniDw+5EUS0LP2oYCS6A8uP3qiRbTXgoGLooZaNii YPm7PgmFG73PmrAYM/BQUFx7e5AY55oDjlzYe5BAXyYPogM0nzZBkQc8kwiEFsQ/eggJzcd/4ILK MKkJU5gGEwYyjxBDFMZJeZrzY5Wm9bttsowNW0lONGFQmJl/aAAwYhzyF8dF0d64mY8mnHGWF9Gh bUKtL9JOlCqYyoNU5mi5xkSMSeXOOCwmCeDaZ/Tw5CccwdMcPcpDFiqCAgICAgICAgICAgICAgIC AgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg9aNEZrv3ICRk2KSo79qCfMGw70Fd8lBNeC yQiJDPPg/wAUUb5s2fNSQZsOb4urAe9QOYYYE9uSCEjtHZokhHEYl0AgHUqAMC4Ljty8EiALv8dV Y9IA4FjgPbFJkUmfsykCY9x4feqg4GGneouFwOjnTirCEYt+Ci5dE+r9gbTrWd0IyFK5o0qvNEsT IAwLf6K6reVxf1tN+bjdxWibmyuK9b9TaVKYpRg45qUIYfTDn5c2fhiuNKTzbOWfDyRiiAgICAgI CAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgIPWjvkcNV6DLkBYBmDaA5 IKQOCghPAoqPIqCO/HyxQZD24LKJQLseOjpIxpfVNOP1hEVW+cRcxB1YllIMsjEaMrIcoOiipygH imBMXz8ExkJEAOSwGeP2pMCgNkgpD6B0gY8uGIBIz0Cgo5siQyoB1Q+V3JfVj9yiKWGR8EAGQ7Sh h1v6v7eBdbFvFSANvb3At7os55KhBDuGbA5rg72I4SwtDpu7hCjeVDRIlSFSRoywLxEjykjFdc1z wfGc5VJyqSLymTKR7SXKIxQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQE BAQEBAQEBB605iMwXXfuTgzxLplBxwd8kA4HRFXMcVcIxdixBwUwqfUDshhcx2IDHMHuUEaXeqMc X4AduCmFUCXa3bmgrPgWfXDBVFIiRykYdqZyJyMXjgfegFhiSx4aIMiT934IISSGZ+KCc2Act9iC sM+PmiKBxIUAjh/T3IOLep22i+6L3Acrzt4i4p/MYsaZxOGeBOC0bqvVpz6EtydC3VS2hSs6IcV7 Q1IV5gxqU5Hn54mDZ5sV1Ey0tBUnKdSU5fmmTKWmJLlEYoCAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICA gICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAg9Zk64AduS9A5A/tqhA47+KKCJbs0CnEyAPox4BIRcc3 De5DIQAckE5ZM4Pt2q4XIDjicDrooi92Kqo7+GqgoJfFAJlkQME4ocwzAw7kEI7Me/4oqjVBj8cx oqKQ+BCIuLNgGybNQGLaMgvbmgrdoViEy09/aQu7C5tZgGNelOkRp88SFjaMxgebNztbqNhbGvQN OVDnpyqyjETIjLkjFgQSHBxIXQ2jENcxwbdd2NShRp1SxpywFQc3zE/MMx4eCMZhpUQQEBAQEBAQ EBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEHrPvHivQOQp7MQqDY8FjkDy gYyZUBLtd/JQH734q5EkT2NxKgPLXwGqKmL5Y8fvQBEt9nDwVwZUt4+9REZwWzGfDxRU0ckv3fYg PIti3HRQHPHDjoqKxJzPx9yKPmC7cVcoyBwSUPmb2dSBASz4+3YkQrJi2WfFERiM/NIkVsXcurkd I9Z7HCjue/UhEV6lGvTuramZf3dGqDOqRiCzldPr0xazCYy4nuNK5t6QtahlCyE6c50cXEpQxYy7 lx5zDGYbKWctlojBEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQ EBB6zBIHH7fFegche1w3dgoIR3kJhQfmblw4qpKjmxYe5IAdoTIPhnkkA5bBJGJMmfUaJCrzY4nw /BEVg3DggAPjropgDHw4oIADngNFeYPHQOezNQADmzdikKO/b2rLKYNcvbtSJXCAzf8AhA0ZSZGZ PDNVGIMuX2ZRcLmGOHtoogcdcRwP2rIdbepdh+l3i13OlRFWruNvUsZ0jkZiP9mfHmZdfu64tE+f BjLhu57Xb1qV8RXuI1ba1oShCqeb6kuUAkmTmTyJbl07lxLVic+iEmHBySS5zK1NSICAgICAgICA gICAgICCiRETHQ4nwQRAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQEBAQesxGRJGYGOa79yM qzHtWQoOimRA4fD27FJASBOeOr5qg0eIbhomBMPLU5oKSQ7B+LKCZgEhjnigOe7t1QUHt8UB3+/X wTJhNNe38VQBxxbvUXCYNg7IEnZhlx/BJEIYgCTPm+KkjLEnPyViBOWObsyGV5Q7P2hMGT5s3y4q iFsdQfJQHBLt4oOIeplKA2O33Fj9Wxu6NSM4sJgGTHlMnA8lxN3Hs58pSXXW43tevZTs6ojdWwjy 293TgDOnyVg0pH8wYTMcSxwXAtbMYYy4PKlS/U/TM/p0ebl+qXIZ25mGJWqGlu3VHSl107XtqFzc U7ipdUxWpiiJN9OX5S5AzW7W0Z05xJLTbZskr+zvLmNxTo/oxE