《Distant Galaxies Colliding》作者： - Gareth L. Powell 【EPUB】

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Distant Galaxies Colliding a short story by Gareth L Powell It was a damp afternoon in November. Wet leaves blew down the narrow streets. I drank tea at apavement café near the Seine while I waited for Candy to arrive. When she did she was carryinga white cane and wearing a cheap pair of plastic sunglasses. Shed been mugged by a teenagegang on the streets of Hamburg. Theyd stolen her camera and sprayed paint into her eyes. Sheheld onto my arm as we walked south on the Boulevard Saint Michel toward my hotel. Pigeons andscraps of newspaper flapped around our feet. Behind us the towers of Notre Dame grazed thesagging sky. Paris she said smelled of neglect it reminded her of Dublin or London. Do you want to talk about it I asked meaning Hamburg. She squeezed my arm fiercely and hercheek brushed my shoulder. For half a second we were off balance. Perhaps later she said. I led her across the road and up the steps of my hotel. My room was on the fourth floor. When Iopened the door she dropped her cane and sat on the bed. There were a few possessions on thenightstand: my passport a handful of coins a magpie feather. She stirred them with her fingeras I drew the curtains. Im thinking of going back to the States she said. She rolled onto her back and began toyingwith the feather dabbing it lightly against her nose. I didnt reply I didnt want her to go. The last few weeks without her had been almostunbearable. Theres nothing left for me here she said. I knelt beside her and touched the golden stubble on her scalp. It was rough like Velcro. Im here for you. Her arm fell to the bed. She dropped the feather and turned her head away. There was somethingdigging into my knee. It was a small hardback book. It must have fallen from her coat pocket. Ipicked it up it was a copy of her latest collection of published photographs. The dust jacketwas torn. When will you leave I asked. She shrugged. Outside on the street a siren wailed. At the lights the taxis idled. We couldhear their turbines ticking over. As soon as possible she said. I first met Candy about a year ago in one of those nameless bars that litter the