"Bradbury, Ray - The Illustrated Man" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bradbury Ray)

УOn the contrary,Ф said Father Peregrine swiftly. УIntelligent, you say?Ф

УThereТs a story. A prospector broke his leg in those hills and would have died there. The blue spheres of light came at him. When he woke, he was down on a highway and didnТt know how he got there.Ф

УDrunk,Ф said Father Stone.

УThatТs the story,Ф said the mayor. УFather Peregrine, with most of the Martians dead, and only these blue spheres, I frankly think youТd be better off in First City. Mars is opening up. ItТs a frontier now, like in the old days on Earth, out West, and in Alaska. Men are pouring up here. ThereТre a couple thousand black Irish mechanics and miners and day laborers in First Town who need saving, because thereТre too many wicked women came with them, and too much ten-century-old Martian wineЧЧФ

Father Peregrine was gazing into the soft blue hills.

Father Stone cleared his throat. УWell, Father?Ф

Father Peregrine did not hear. УSpheres of blue fire?Ф

УYes, Father.Ф

УAh,Ф Father Peregrine sighed.

УBlue balloons.Ф Father Stone shook his head. УA circus!Ф

Father Peregrine felt his wrists pounding. He saw the little frontier town with raw, fresh-built sin, and he saw the hills, old with the oldest and yet perhaps an even newer (to him) sin.

УMayor, could your black Irish laborers cook one more day in hellfire?Ф

УIТd turn and baste them for you, Father.Ф

Father Peregrine nodded to the hills. УThen thatТs where weТll go.Ф

There was a murmur from everyone.

УIt would be so simple,Ф explained Father Peregrine, Уto go into town. I prefer to think that if the Lord walked here and people said, СHere is the beaten path,Т He would reply, СShow me the weeds. I will make a path.ТФ

УButЧЧФ

УFather Stone, think how it would weigh upon us if we passed sinners by and did not extend our hands.Ф

УBut globes of fire!Ф

УI imagine man looked funny to other animals when we first appeared. Yet he has a soul, for all his homeliness. Until we prove otherwise, let us assume that these fiery spheres have souls.Ф

УAll right,Ф agreed the mayor, Уbut youТll be back to town.Ф

УWeТll see. First, some breakfast. Then you and I, Father Stone, will walk alone into the hills. I donТt want to frighten those fiery Martians with machines or crowds. Shall we have breakfast?Ф

The Fathers ate in silence.



At nightfall Father Peregrine and Father Stone were high in the hills. They stopped and sat upon a rock to enjoy a moment of relaxation and waiting. The Martians had not as yet appeared and they both felt vaguely disappointed.