"Paul Di Filippo - It's All Goodkind" - читать интересную книгу автора (Di Filippo Paul)

must pay lip service to, after allтАФfor a while yet, anyway. LetтАЩs move on. What
about here, where a woman is shown with her child, but no mention is made of the
existence of her legal spouse? And here, where peasants attempt to overthrow the
lawful ruler of their kingdom? And here, where wizards decide to form a union? And
here, where music is described as тАШpleasantly atonal?тАЩ тАШAtonal,тАЩ Mr. Badway,
indeed! All instances of non-normative values, I think youтАЩll agree.тАЭ
I stood up then and reclaimed my manuscript with a cold precision. All
thoughts of giving in to the FBLNVтАЩs insane directives had fled my head.
Commissioner Goodkine looked startled. тАЬMr. Badway, whatтАЩs the matter? I
thought we had come to an understanding?тАЭ
тАЬDo you recall your own WizardтАЩs Tenth Rule, Commissioner Goodkine?тАЭ
тАЬWhy, naturally. тАШWillfully turning aside from the truth is treason to oneтАЩs
self.тАЩтАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs fine, so far as it goes. But you never stopped to consider that one
manтАЩs truth might be another manтАЩs lies.тАЭ
My words had the same effect upon Commissioner Goodkine that logical
paradoxes used to inflict upon thinking machines in cliched science fiction. His
mental processes ground to a halt, and I was able to leave his office without further
discussion or argument.
тАЬThe greatest harm can result from the best intentions,тАЭ said the Second Rule
on the plaque in the anteroom.
Good point, I thought, and went home to writeтАФnon-normative all the way.