"Anderson, Poul - For Love and Glory" - читать интересную книгу автора (Anderson Poul)

Dzesi snarled.
Hebo shushed her. Astonishingly good-humored, he responded: УLuck of the draw. CanТt win Тem all. Though I do already have a couple of notions about deals that could maybe be [27] madeЧФ He finished his drink. УHey, letТs knock this off. Stay a while, why donТt you? WeТll help you set up your camp. WeТll show you around. And then you can decide what to tell them at your base, other than that youТre safe and sound and having a good time.Ф
IV
DINNER became jolly, at any rate for the humans. Hebo kept an excellent larder. He poured the wine with a liberal hand and did most of the talking. Lissa soon had nothing against that, even after it became rather boastful. If half what he told was true, heТd had some fabulous adventures. And he had also absorbed considerable culture. Much of what he quoted or mentioned in passing was unfamiliar to herЧwho were Machiavelli, Hiroshige, Buxtehude?Чbut she didnТt think he was making it up. The worlds and histories were simply too manifold.
УYep,Ф he ended, УweТdТve been rescued plenty sooner if it hadnТt been for the squabbles back on the satellite.Ф
УThat was a tense situation,Ф she said. УThe rivalry between the Susaians and the GribЧI didnТt know it can get so bitter.Ф
УActually, that didnТt cause most of the trouble,Ф Hebo explained. УSure, those two breeds donТt get along, and it was a big mistake including several of both in the expedition. But theyТre too different for any real, deadly feuding, let alone war. Nope,Ф he said, turning a bit philosophical, УI donТt expect thereТll ever be an interstellar war. Between species, that is. Inside a species, thoughЧraces, religions, tribes, factionsЧin this case, two Susaian creeds. Not that we humans are saints. We may be the worst of the lot.Ф
You might almost call him handsome, in a rough-hewn fashion, Lissa thought. УYou must have a wide basis for comparison,Ф she murmured, Уwith all the roving youТve done forЧhow long?Ф
УI was born about nine hundred years ago, Earth count.Ф
УWhat? But thatТs amazing!Ф Minor scars and the like [29] suggested his latest rejuvenation had been about twenty years back, which would put him biologically in his forties. He didnТt look it. УWhy have I never heard of you before, at home on Asborg or anywhere else?Ф
УOh, IТve been on Asborg now and then. YouТve got some beautiful country. But itТs a while since last, and anyway, a planetТs so big and patchworky and changeable. Not to speak of a galaxy. IТm not interested in doing anything worldshaking.Ф
УThough the, the revelation hereЧФ
They had finished coffee; she had declined to share brandy with him. УTell you what,Ф he said, Уif you want, we can go out. IТll give you the guided tour.Ф
She accepted eagerly. Aglow, his tongue still clattering, he nonetheless walked as steadily as her. Karel accompanied them to the gorge, but not on the scramble down its steep, rocky side. The boat could scarcely hold him together with the humans. He turned back. He and Dzesi, eating their separate rations, had apparently become interested in fathoming one anotherТs personalities.
The boat slipped forth onto the water. Clouds westward loomed ever higher and darker. The wind had strengthened. УA storm seems to be brewing at sea,Ф Lissa remarked. УDo you think itТll come this far inland?Ф
УIТd guess not,Ф Hebo replied. УThough by now, donТt your people, with all their instruments and observations, know the weather patterns pretty well? Dzesi and I havenТt been here but a short while, and have hardly gotten around at all.Ф
УComing straight down, with scarcely any study from orbit firstЧwasnТt that a littleЧreckless?Ф
He shrugged. УLifeТs a crapshoot, however you play it.Ф
Some of his words and phrases were strange to her; she had to take their meaning from context. Archaic, she supposed. Well, in many ways he was archaic himself.
The boat arrived. He made fast and offered a hand to help her up the metal flank. She didnТt need it, but enjoyed the contact. [30] Mainly, her attention was underfoot, on intricate low-relief patterns that possibly boreЧcircuits, receptors, transmitters, receiversЧ?
They halted on top and stood mute. The wind tossed her hair and ruffled the stream. The sun glowed dull and huge. Creatures leaped briefly out of the water or winged in noisy hordes.
She looked to and fro, the length and breadth of the mystery. Awe nearly overwhelmed her. УWhat is it?Ф
He chuckled. УWouldnТt Dzesi and I like to know?Ф
УYou must have learned something.Ф
УOf course. I think.Ф
Eagerness throbbed. УWhat?Ф
He shook his head. УUh-uh. The idea is to sell information, not give it away. We havenТt got any institution supporting us, nor professional prestige to gain by publishing.Ф
She had been turning that question over at the back of her mind. УI canТt promise anything,Ф she said slowly, Уbut I can do my bestЧand I know some influential people whoТd probably agreeЧI can try to arrange that you be rewarded for what youТve done.Ф
He beamed. УHey, thatТs really sweet of you.Ф He moved in on her.
She retreated a step, pretending she did it casually. УOnly fair. The discovery is a tremendous contribution. And whatever youТve learned is that much work already done.Ф Keep this practical, impersonal. УHowever, IТll have to know what to tell those people.Ф
УQuite the little bargainer, arenТt you?Ф he said, more amicably than she liked. УWell, reasonable. But IТve got to dicker too. IТll give you a quick and dirty outline if you want, and keep our exact facts and figures under the table till later.Ф
She smiled. УBesides, this is hardly the place for a scientific lecture.Ф Nor are you in shape to give one, she judged.
УNo,Ф he agreed. УWe can talk comfortably over a drink, the two of us.Ф
[31] УOur partners deserve to be there,Ф she answered warily. Divert him. УCould you give me some slight notion of, of what to expect?Ф
УA sketch of that outline? Why not?Ф He gestured grandiosely. УThis is doubtless a self-growing, self-renewing device. Same principle as we often use, but way superior. Nothing we can make could maintain homeostasis anywhere near as long as this has. Well, of course the plan, the chemistry, everythingТs entirely unlike our stuff.Ф His words gathered momentum. УWeТve traced its configuration electronically, sonicallyЧ Hm, am I a poet? Anyhow, it sits on the river bottom, but extends deep roots to anchor itself and extract the minerals it needs to repair the, uh, ravages of water and weather and radiation and what-all else. Deep. Clear through bedrock, way into lower strata. Dzesi and I think it is, or was, an observatory, taking data on everything that comes in range, geology, atmosphere, life, everything, maybe down to the molecular level.Ф
УYes, itТs usually supposed thatТs what the Forerunners wanted in these regions, information. Why they then abandoned their network and never returnedЧФ
УWho knows? This thing isnТt dead. We register traces of power, probably drawing on solar energy. As youТd expect, since it still resists erosion. Self-repair. But we canТt find out exactly whatТs going on.Ф
Lissa shivered in the wind.
Hebo gave her a broad smile. УThere, will that do for a synopsis? How about now we relax and enjoy ourselves?Ф
УFor a while, perhaps. With our friends. Frankly,Ф and honestly, УIТm almost ready for bed.Ф
УMe too. Though not sleep, huh?Ф He leaned close. УNot right away.Ф
She took another backward step. УWhat do you mean?Ф She knew full well.
УYouТre a mighty attractive woman, Lissa. Even if it hadnТt [32] been quite a dry spell for me, youТd stand out.Ф He laughed. УIn every way, but especially two.Ф
УHold on, there,Ф she snapped.
УBeen a while for you also, I hope. Our partners are of opposite sex to us, but that doesnТt help, does it? They arenТt built right. Come on,Ф he coaxed. УIТm good. IТll bet you are too.Ф
УNo.Ф
He reached and caught hold of a buttock. She sprang from him. He lumbered ahead, grinning and beckoning. She drew her pistol.
УNo,Ф she said. УI mean it, Hebo.Ф
He slammed to a stop. УYou do,Ф he said, as if astounded. УYou really do.Ф
УTake me back ashore.Ф