"John DeChancie - Skyway 3 - Paradox Alley" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dechancie John)



file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/John%20DeChancie%20-%20Paradox%20Alley.txt (8 of 269) [10/16/2004 4:41:28 PM]
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/John%20DeChancie%20-%20Paradox%20Alley.txt


"We've been invited to lunch," John reminded him.

"We could be walking into a trap," I said. "Can we be sure
Prime will let us leave?"

"We've seen his power. He may be able to do anything he
wants with us."

"That may very well be true," I said, nodding. "But we
don't know for sure."

"He seems friendly enough," Susan said. "Absolutely
charming, in fact."

Zoya said, "I doubt very much that he is what he seems to
be. I don't for a moment believe he is human."

"And I don't believe he's God," Liam said. "I'm not what
you'd call the religious sort, but gadding about in a shiny new
roadster isn't my idea of how a Supreme Being should be
conducting himself." He scratched his effusive light-brown
beard. "Of course, I'm not so sure exactly how a Supreme

11

12 John DeChancie

Being should be conducting himself, butтАФ"

"I know what you mean," John said. "I think we should
dispense with that notion straight off. Prime is obviously an
advanced form of life. Perhaps he's even immortal. But eter-
nal? Hardly."

"Okay," I said, "we're in agreement on that score. I'd also
add that, though he might be very powerful, he probably isn't
omnipotent. Or omniscient, or all-loving and good, either. He
says he has something to accomplishтАФwhat, we don't know,
but his plans seem to include us. We have to decide whether
we want to cooperate. We might not like what he wants to
do."

Daria said, "Maybe he'll give us the choice of not cooper-
ating."