\u00cencepea s\u0103 se \u00eentunece. Ar fi trebuit s\u0103 fim demult la debarcader, iar Keegan a ap\u0103sat accelera\u0163ia, f\u0103c\u00e2nd slalom printre pietroaie, cioturi \u015fi r\u0103d\u0103cini. De o parte \u015fi de alta a drumului copacii se \u00eendesiser\u0103, mergeam pe sub un tunel de crengi de un verde tot mai \u00eenchis, p\u00e2n\u0103 c\u00e2nd a devenit negru.<\/p>\n
Zdruncin\u0103tura, nea\u015fteptat\u0103, m-a aruncat \u00eenainte; dac\u0103 nu aveam centura, a\u015f fi dat cu capul \u00een parbriz. Ne izbiser\u0103m de vreun obstacol sau Keegan pusese o fr\u00e2n\u0103 brusc\u0103?<\/p>\n
Nu a aprins farurile. Am cobor\u00e2t am\u00e2ndoi cu lanternele \u00een m\u00e2ini, scrut\u00e2nd \u00eentunericul. La niciun metru de botul ma\u015finii, trunchiul unui arbore bloca trecerea. Nu era o ambuscad\u0103 a karghanilor; doar un copac dobor\u00e2t de furtun\u0103 sau at\u00e2t de b\u0103tr\u00e2n \u00eenc\u00e2t, putred \u015fi g\u0103unos pe din\u0103untru, se pr\u0103bu\u015fise de-a curmezi\u015ful drumului. Era imposibil s\u0103 \u00eel ocolim \u015fi am \u00eenchis o clip\u0103 ochii, de parc\u0103 a\u015fa l-a\u015f fi putut face s\u0103 dispar\u0103.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Oricum ni se termina motorina peste… \u015fapte minute, m-a consolat Keeghan.<\/p>\n
La una dintre hurduc\u0103turi se fisurase o \u0163eav\u0103 pe sub ma\u015fin\u0103; abia acum vedeam d\u00e2ra de lichid v\u00e2scos pe care Land Roverul o l\u0103sase \u00een urm\u0103.<\/p>\n
\u2013 \u015ei canistra de rezerv\u0103?<\/p>\n
\u2013 Goal\u0103. N-am avut timp s\u0103 trec pe la benzin\u0103rie.<\/p>\n
Fiindc\u0103 ne-am dus dup\u0103 afurisitul de rucsac. Nu mi-a spus-o, nici m\u0103car nu a g\u00e2ndit-o. A\u015fa era Keegan; c\u0103uta solu\u0163ii, nu culpabili.<\/p>\n
\u2013 \u015etiu o scurt\u0103tur\u0103 prin p\u0103dure, spre Ostrovul Lupilor. Ia-o spre est.<\/p>\n
L-am ascultat, pornind printre desi\u015furile din dreapta drumului, furioas\u0103 pe mine, pe lume. Dup\u0103 c\u00e2\u0163iva pa\u015fi, m-am oprit: Keegan nu venea?<\/p>\n
Scotocea prin portbagajul ma\u015finii, apoi a deschis portiera din spate. C\u00e2nd m-a ajuns, avea pe un um\u0103r rucsacul, pe cel\u0103lalt carabina Remington \u015fi un pistol cu \u0163eava scurt\u0103, parc\u0103 retezat\u0103. Mi-a \u00eentins ce \u00eemi apar\u0163inea.<\/p>\n
\u2013 Mai t\u00e2rziu, te hot\u0103r\u0103\u015fti dac\u0103 \u00eel p\u0103strezi sau \u00eel arunci. Acum \u00eens\u0103, \u00eel cari.<\/p>\n
Am acceptat peniten\u0163a f\u0103r\u0103 un murmur. Keegan o luase \u00eenainte \u015fi \u00eei vedeam fascicolul lanternei plutind peste tufi\u015furi ca un licurici uria\u015f. Nu m\u0103 pasioneaz\u0103 drume\u0163iile prin p\u0103dure, mai ales cele nocturne. P\u00e2n\u0103 la Ostrovul Lupilor era vreo or\u0103 de mers printre grohoti\u015furi, scaie\u0163i, tufe urzic\u0103toare sau \u0163epoase. M\u0103car \u00eemi luasem cizmele, blugii, un pulov\u0103r cu glug\u0103. Putea fi \u015fi mai r\u0103u…<\/p>\n
Ceva umed mi-a lunecat pe obraz: o pic\u0103tur\u0103 de ap\u0103. Apoi a venit alta \u015fi altele, tot mai dese, p\u00e2n\u0103 ce nu a mai fost dec\u00e2t o rev\u0103rsare continu\u0103 dintr-o g\u0103leat\u0103 c\u00e2t cerul. La \u00eenceput, coroanele copacilor ne-au ap\u0103rat de \u015fuvoaie; cur\u00e2nd \u00eens\u0103, au ajuns ni\u015fte umbrele g\u0103urite, pe care rafalele de v\u00e2nt le r\u0103suceau, le \u00eentorceau pe dos. Nu era ploaie, ci deluviu. Apa \u00eemi intra \u00een ochi, \u00een n\u0103ri \u2013 cred c\u0103 respiram prin urechile transformate \u00een branhii.<\/p>\n
Keegan m\u0103 a\u015ftepta \u00een bezn\u0103. I se stricase lanterna? Mi-a f\u0103cut semn s\u0103 o sting pe a mea \u015fi s\u0103 r\u0103m\u00e2n neclintit\u0103. La ce se uita? La nimic. \u0162inea ochii \u00eenchi\u015fi, ascult\u00e2nd. Ce? Nu auzeam dec\u00e2t pic\u0103turile lovindu-se de trunchiuri, de pietre, de…<\/p>\n
\u015ei-atunci am sim\u0163it<\/em> intrarea.<\/p>\n Keegan a ajuns primul; i-am v\u0103zut disp\u0103r\u00e2nd \u00eent\u00e2i umerii, apoi restul, ca \u00eentr-o gaur\u0103 neagr\u0103. L-am urmat f\u0103r\u0103 s\u0103 ezit \u00een grota-vizuin\u0103, unde nu mai intrase ap\u0103 de la glacia\u0163iunea W\u00fcrm. Fo\u015ftii locatari \u2013 ur\u015fi, lupi \u2013 nu erau acas\u0103. Iar pe jos am g\u0103sit lemne, crengu\u0163e, gr\u0103mezi de mu\u015fchi, toate uscate!<\/p>\n Dou\u0103 minute mai t\u00e2rziu fl\u0103c\u0103rile ardeau \u00eenalte, iar eu \u00eei mul\u0163umeam \u00een g\u00e2nd lui Prometeu, care d\u0103ruise oamenilor o inven\u0163ie at\u00e2t de util\u0103 \u015fi lui Keegan, care nu r\u0103m\u00e2nea niciodat\u0103 f\u0103r\u0103 chibrituri, fiindc\u0103 n-avea nevoie \u2212 focul \u00eel cuno\u015ftea, \u00eel asculta.<\/p>\n Hainele at\u00e2rnau pe mine grele, mustind de ap\u0103 \u015fi nu \u015ftiam cum s\u0103 le scot mai repede.<\/p>\n Dincolo de fl\u0103c\u0103ri, Keegan f\u0103cea acela\u015fi lucru. \u00cencepuse prin a-\u015fi azv\u00e2rli cizmele, c\u0103ma\u015fa, r\u0103m\u00e2n\u00e2nd \u00een pantaloni. Eu eram \u00een sutien \u015fi blugi, c\u00e2nd ne-am oprit am\u00e2ndoi, de parc\u0103 ne-am fi \u00een\u0163eles. Keegan s-a l\u0103sat \u00een genunchi, \u00eentinz\u00e2nd m\u00e2inile spre v\u0103p\u0103ile care i-au lins degetele, ca o hidr\u0103 de foc ce \u00ee\u015fi recuno\u015ftea st\u0103p\u00e2nul.<\/p>\n Nu \u00eel mai v\u0103zusem… a\u015fa.<\/p>\n De\u015fi ar\u0103ta ca un zeu grec, Keegan Thorson se potrivea perfect \u00een Pantheonul Nordului: un urma\u015f al lui Odin eman\u00e2nd for\u0163\u0103, \u00eens\u0103 f\u0103r\u0103 masivitate \u015fi o energie echilibrat\u0103. Iar c\u00e2teodat\u0103, r\u0103ceal\u0103.<\/p>\n Prima oar\u0103 c\u00e2nd ne \u00eent\u00e2lnisem \u00een Galeria Babilon<\/em>, m\u0103 privise deta\u015fat, indiferent. Nu eram obi\u015fnuit\u0103 cu o asemenea reac\u0163ie din partea sexului opus. Crezusem chiar… \u00cens\u0103 Keegan nu vedea \u00een al\u0163i b\u0103rba\u0163i dec\u00e2t camarazi de arme sau inamici \u2013 acum \u00eel cuno\u015fteam destul ca s\u0103 \u00een\u0163eleg asta. \u015ei mai \u015ftiam c\u0103 fuseser\u0103 destule femei \u00een via\u0163a lui, poate chiar o mare iubire. Ori poate…<\/p>\n Trebuia s\u0103 aflu. Devenise deodat\u0103 foarte important<\/em>.<\/p>\n Focul era singurul obstacol \u00eentre noi. Nu l-am ocolit. Am trecut peste<\/em>, f\u0103r\u0103 ca fl\u0103c\u0103rile s\u0103 m\u0103 ating\u0103. Surprins, Keegan a s\u0103rit \u00een picioare, d\u00e2ndu-se un pas \u00eenapoi.<\/p>\n Reu\u015fisem s\u0103 \u00eel impresionez?<\/p>\n Am r\u0103mas nemi\u015fca\u0163i, la o r\u0103suflare distan\u0163\u0103, privindu-ne. O mie de g\u00e2nduri \u00eei treceau prin minte, \u00eens\u0103 nu reu\u015feam s\u0103 prind niciunul. \u00cen privirea lui ap\u0103ruse confuzie, a\u015fteptare; era \u015fi dorin\u0163\u0103, interes, dar altfel dec\u00e2t vedeam sear\u0103 de sear\u0103 \u00een ochii b\u0103rba\u0163ilor de la Fantasia<\/em>.<\/p>\n M-am ridicat pe v\u00e2rfuri \u015fi mi-am lipit buzele de ale lui. Mi-a r\u0103spuns la s\u0103rut \u2013 firesc, instinctiv. Apoi m-a prins de umeri \u00eendep\u0103rt\u00e2ndu-m\u0103 cu, speram, o und\u0103 de regret.<\/p>\n \u2013 Lorena este cea pe care o vrei.<\/p>\n A spus-o f\u0103r\u0103 nicio intona\u0163ie. Afirma o realitate, at\u00e2t.<\/p>\n L-am privit \u00een ochi:<\/p>\n \u2013 Nu \u00een noaptea asta.<\/p>\n \u015ei era adev\u0103rat. Nu puteam fi cu Lorena p\u00e2n\u0103 c\u00e2nd… Trebuia s\u0103 redevin eu \u00eens\u0103mi, cea dinainte de Denton Quin.<\/p>\n Abia \u00een clipa aceea am \u00een\u0163eles ce voiam \u2013 de la el, de la mine. \u00cei ceream s\u0103 \u00eemi vindece sufletul, s\u0103 extirpe pentru totdeauna amintirea ca o ran\u0103 cangrenat\u0103 ce continua s\u0103 s\u00e2ngereze, f\u0103r\u0103 s\u0103 m\u0103 ucid\u0103 \u015fi f\u0103r\u0103 s\u0103 m\u0103 lase s\u0103 tr\u0103iesc. Voiam s\u0103 uit atingerile care m\u0103 p\u00e2ng\u0103riser\u0103, s\u0103 nu \u00eemi mai b\u00e2ntuie nop\u0163ile, s\u0103 pot \u00eenchide ochii a\u015ftept\u00e2nd \u015fi altceva dec\u00e2t co\u015fmare. Nu era de ajuns c\u0103 \u00eel ucisesem pe Denton Quin. Trebuia s\u0103 mi-l \u015fterg din minte \u2013 definitiv, total.<\/p>\n Iar pentru asta…<\/p>\n M-am \u00een\u0103l\u0163at capul, iar buzele ni s-au \u00eent\u00e2lnit iar\u0103\u015fi. Nu a mai fost un s\u0103rut \u00eentre prieteni, ci… Putea s\u0103 fie \u015fi a\u015fa?! C\u0103ldur\u0103, tandre\u0163e, atingeri care \u00eemi trezeau senza\u0163ii ne\u00eencercate p\u00e2n\u0103 atunci: pl\u0103cere, nevoia de mai mult<\/em>.<\/p>\n Pe undeva, cumva, am pierdut controlul realit\u0103\u0163ii. M-am pomenit culcat\u0103 pe nisip, \u00een timp ce b\u0103rbatul care avea s\u0103 m\u0103 readuc\u0103 la via\u0163\u0103 \u00eemi s\u0103ruta pleoapele.<\/p>\n Lorena, mi-am amintit. Ea era destina\u0163ia, locul unde trebuia s\u0103 ajung. Keegan era drumul.<\/p>\n \u015ei m-am pierdut \u00een c\u0103l\u0103torie.<\/p>\n #<\/p>\n Despre autoare<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>Rodica Bretin<\/strong> a debutat cu o povestire \u00een 1982, iar \u00een 1985 i-a ap\u0103rut volumul Efect Holografic<\/em>.<\/p>\n Este membr\u0103 a Uniunii Scriitorilor din Rom\u00e2nia \u015fi a Fantasia Art Association din Cornwall (Marea Britanie).<\/p>\n A publicat p\u00e2n\u0103 \u00een prezent 35 volume de povestiri \u015fi romane \u00een registrul fantastic-realist, istoric \u015fi main-stream, printre care: Efect Holografic <\/em>(1985); \u015eoimul Alb <\/em>(1987); Uria\u015ful cel Bun <\/em>(1989); Drumul f\u0103r\u0103 Sf\u00e2r\u015fit <\/em>(1991); Cel care Vine din<\/em> Urm\u0103 <\/em>(1993); Lumea lui Hind<\/em> (1998); Omul de Nisip<\/em> (2000); Fecioara de Fier<\/em>, roman ap\u0103rut \u00een 4 edi\u0163ii (2002; 2006; 2014; 2017); Cetatea f\u0103r\u0103 trecut<\/em> (2015); Fort\u0103rea\u0163a <\/em>(2016); Oameni \u015fi Zei<\/em> (2017), Poarta Stelar\u0103<\/em> (2018) \u015fi Elysium<\/em> (2019), cele 3 volume din seria Protectorii<\/em>; Casa f\u0103r\u0103 c\u0103r\u0163i<\/em> (2020).<\/p>\n A \u00eenfiin\u0163at \u00eempreun\u0103 cu so\u0163ul ei, scriitorul Dan Apostol, Editura Baricada \u015fi a coeditat seria Antares<\/em>, patru antologii dedicate literaturii fantastice \u015fi culturii enciclopedice; a realizat antologiile de literatur\u0103 clasic\u0103 Cronici din lumi interzise<\/em> (2003) \u015fi V\u00e2n\u0103torii Lumii de Dincolo<\/em> (2006).<\/p>\n A publicat proz\u0103, eseuri, articole, traduceri \u00een reviste literare din Rom\u00e2nia, Fran\u0163a \u015fi Marea Britanie.<\/p>\n A primit numeroase premii, printre care:<\/p>\n \u201ePremiul pentru cea mai bun\u0103 proz\u0103 str\u0103in\u0103\u201c la Festivalul Interna\u0163ional al Artei Fantastice de la Annecy (Fran\u0163a), pentru nuvela Negura<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201ePremiul Volaverunt\u201c (Premiul pentru proz\u0103 fantastic\u0103) la Festivalul din Valencia (Spania), pentru nuvela Conquistadorul<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201ePremiul pentru cel mai bun roman str\u0103in\u201c al Fantasia Art Association, pentru romanul Fecioara de Fier<\/em>, publicat \u00een serial de revista The Historian<\/em> din Truro (Cornwall \u2013 Marea Britanie).<\/p>\n \u201ePremiul COLIN, categoria volum de proz\u0103 scurt\u0103 fantastic\u0103\u201c pentru Cetatea f\u0103r\u0103 trecut<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201ePremiul OPERA OMNIA\u201c, decernat la cea de-a 40-a edi\u0163ie a Conven\u0163iei Na\u0163ionale a Cluburilor \u015fi Autorilor de science-fiction din Rom\u00e2nia, Timi\u015foara 2019.<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" de Rodica Bretin Keegan conducea a\u015fa cum era obi\u015fnuit: repede. Nu ne aflam pe autostrad\u0103 ci pe un drum forestier, plin de bolovani, h\u00e2rtoape, buturugi. Dar ne gr\u0103beam. Ceilal\u0163i ajunseser\u0103 deja \u00een insula-fort\u0103rea\u0163\u0103, eram ultimii r\u0103ma\u015fi pe continent sau, cum spunea Keegan, \u00een teritoriul inamic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1514,15],"tags":[1515,1115,1219],"class_list":["post-13694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-egophobia-68","category-proza","tag-egophobia-68","tag-proza","tag-rodica-bretin"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6DakB-3yS","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13694"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13694\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13695,"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13694\/revisions\/13695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13694"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13694"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/egophobia.ro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.vgy.me\/E4IEtp.jpg?w=812&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n