Сумерки

           "I’dliketohaveseenthat."Hechuckleddarkly."Andyouaccusedmeofdazzlingpeople-poorJacobBlack."

           Iblushedandlookedoutmywindowintothenight.

           "Whatdidyoudothen?"heaskedafteraminute.

           "IdidsomeresearchontheInternet."

           "Anddidthatconvinceyou?"Hisvoicesoundedbarelyinterested.Buthishandswereclampedhardontothesteeringwheel.

           "No.Nothingfit.Mostofitwaskindofsilly.Andthen..."Istopped.

           "What?"

           "Idecideditdidn’tmatter,"Iwhispered.

           "Itdidn’tmatter?"Histonemademelookup-Ihadfinallybrokenthroughhiscarefullycomposedmask.Hisfacewasincredulous,withjustahintoftheangerI’dfeared.

           "No,"Isaidsoftly."Itdoesn’tmattertomewhatyouare."

           Ahard,mockingedgeenteredhisvoice."Youdon’tcareifI’mamonster?IfI’mnothuman!"

           "No."

           Hewassilent,staringstraightaheadagain.Hisfacewasbleakandcold.

           "You’reangry,"Isighed."Ishouldn’thavesaidanything."

           "No,"hesaid,buthistonewasashardashisface."I’dratherknowwhatyou’rethinking-evenifwhatyou’rethinkingisinsane."

           "SoI’mwrongagain?"Ichallenged.

           "That’snotwhatIwasreferringto.’Itdoesn’tmatter’!"hequoted,grittinghisteethtogether.

           "I’mright?"Igasped.

           "Doesitmatter?"

           Itookadeepbreath.

           "Notreally."Ipaused."ButIamcurious."Myvoice,atleast,wascomposed.

           Hewassuddenlyresigned."Whatareyoucuriousabout?"

           "Howoldareyou?"

           "Seventeen,"heansweredpromptly.