2
The morgue. Cracked tiled floor, tiled walls, too, and – the smell. I wait, standing up; I can’t force myself to sit down. But now I can’t even stand still, either. I pace around in circles. Suddenly – Gamayunov. Now it’s Gamma plus Alpha. That equation had happened – maybe a friendly combination, maybe an indifferent one, but a combination nevertheless.
“Sorry, I couldn’t stop her…” He’s talking, so calmly… but what about? “She was sitting on the window ledge, she burst out laughing, leaned back…”
What, he’s talking about HER?! Like that?! SHE WAS LAUGHING! Laughter cost her her life. But he, Gamma, well he knew how she laughed, too – she would throw herself back and scatter into beads of laughter. He knew it, and he made her laugh, she, Beta, sitting there on the window ledge! Not o
