"Benford G - Furious Gulf" - читать интересную книгу автора (Benford Gregory)

--Look.--Killeen whispered.--There's something more in that
doud.--
The gently wriggling beast had no head, only a long black slit at one
end. Toby thought this must be a mouth, because the push from its broad,
shiny sails was taking it forward with the slit end ahead. And it was sailing in pursuit of a blue ball.
Silently they watched it draw nearer, nearer--and the slit-mouth
widened. Something orange shot out and stuck to the blue ball. Drew it in.
The slit-mouth yawned. With two gulps the ball disappeared.
bPredators.--Killeen said.--And prey.-
Toby said wonderingl)--Pred... ? How can anything live in a cloud?
In free space?--
A grin split Killeen's star-tanned face.--In free space? Nothing's free,
son. Molecular clouds have organic molecules, right? So the astro types say.--
--Those names, yeasay.--Toby recalled the voice of his teacher Aspect,
Isaac, who gave him complicated lessons.--Oxygen. Carbon.
Nitrogen.--
Killeen gestured expansively.--Add all this starlight, cook for a few
billion years. Presto!-
Toby blinked.--Life's hiding all through this cloud?--
--I'll bet the hunting is good at the edge of the cloud. Some things
prob'ly live deeper in, where they can hide. Every now and then they'll
come out. To bask in the starlight. Get warm.-
Toby nodded, convinced.--That snaky thing, it knows that. Comes
around, looking for supper.--
--The sail-snake eats the blue balls. But what's the blue ball eat?----Something
smaller. Something we can't see from here.--
--Right.--Killeen squinted.--There's got to be some critter that lives
off the starlight and drifting molecules alone.-
Toby said wonderingly,--Plants? Space plants. I'll bet we can eat
some of them.--
Killeen pounded his son on the back.--Be a wonder if we couldn't.
We know these clouds have the same basic chemistry that nature generates
everywhere. Argo's science programs told us that, 'member? So we'll be
able to digest some of whatever's hiding in there, for sure.-
Toby blinked, watching the jade snake unfurl its sails further. Was it
green for the same reason plants were, to sop up sunlight in all colors
except green? It began an achingly slow turn, showing curved black
stripes. Had it seen their ship? Maybe they should run it down, see what it
tasted like. His stomach rumbled at the idea.

6
Gregory Benford

But the creature had a majesty about it, too. A beauty in its glistening
hide, its graceful movement. Like an immense swimmer in a black pool.
Maybe they'd leave it be.
--We'd never have seen them from the bridge. Those instruments would've filtered out what they didn't think was important.--Killeen was
all business again, his wonderment suppressed. That was part of the price
of being Cap'n.
Toby gaped, still fascinated by the sail-snake. He knew what his father