"Carol Emshwiller - Boys" - читать интересную книгу автора (Emshwiller Carol)

real me. I'll not pay any attention to myself.

But there's something else. I didn't get a good look at my leg yet, but it feels like a serious wound. If I
can't climb up to our stronghold, I'll not ever be able to go home. I shouldn't, even so, and though my
career is in a shambles тАж I shouldn't let myself be lured into staying here as a copulator for the rest of my
life. I can't think of anything more dishonorable. I should send Hob back to the citadel to report on
what's happened and to get help. If he was found trying to escape, would Una let the women kill him?

I try to get Hob alone so I can whisper his orders to him. Only when Una goes out to the privy do I
get the chance. "Get back to the citadel. Cross the wall tonight. There's no moon." I show him my map
and where I think there are fewer women. I want to tell him to take care, but we don't ever say such
things.



┬╖┬╖┬╖┬╖┬╖



In the morning I tell Una to tell my leaders to come in to me. I'm in pain, in a sweat, my beard is itchy. I
ask Una to clean me up. She treats me as a mother would. Back when my mother did it, I pulled away. I
wouldn't let her get close to me. I especially wouldn't let her hug or kiss me. I wanted to be a soldier. I
wanted nothing to do with mother things.

All the boys are looking scruffy. We take pride in our cleanliness, in shaving everyday, in our brush
cuts, and our enemy is as spic and span as we are. I hope they don't launch an offensive today and see us
so untidy.

I'm glad to see Hob isn't with them.

I find it hard to rouse myself to my usual humor. I say, "Pillows, nipples," but I'm too uncomfortable
to play at being one of the boys.

I'd prefer to recuperate some, but the boys are restless already. I can't be thinking of myself. We'll
storm the wall. I show them the map. I point out the less guarded spots. I grab Una. Both her wrists.
"Men, we'll need a battering ram."

Wood isn't easy to get out here on the valley floor. This is a desert except along the streams, but
every village has one tree in the center square that they've nurtured along. As here, baby's graves are
always around it. In other villages, most are cottonwood, but this one is oak. It's so old I wouldn't be
surprised if it hadn't been here since before the village. I think the village was built up around it later.

"Chop the tree. Ram the wall." I tell them. "Go back to the citadel. Don't wait around for me. Tell the
generals never to come here again, neither for boys nor for copulation. Tell them I'm of no use to us
anymore."

The women won't be able to shoot at the boys chopping it down. It's hidden from all parts of the
wall.

When they hear the chopping, the women begin to ululate. Our boys stop chopping, but only for a