"Philip Jose Farmer - Jesus on Mars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Farmer Phillip Jose)

'What is this meat?' Sha'ul asked sternly.
'Ham,' Bronski said.
Looking disgusted, Sha'ul dropped the can on the table.
'At least you told the truth,' he said.
Bronski had guessed that the meat had been analysed. He had also
anticipated the man's reaction.
After hearing the translation, Orme said, 'So what's the big deal?'
'The Martians are orthodox Jews,' Bronski replied.



4
Fifteen minutes before 'noon', five of the captors left. Sha'ul had departed
immediately after ascertaining that the can contained unclean meat. Even though
he had not directly touched the ham, he might have had to be ritually cleansed.
As they had done at 12:00 every day, the sirens began wailing. People
poured out from the buildings and stood looking up at the burning globe. After
three minutes, the sirens moaned off into silence. Another minute passed and
then loudspeakers began a chant quickly joined in by the crowds. This was short,
perhaps fifteen lines, after which the people dispersed, the office workers to their
homes or to tables in parks where they ate, the residents to their houses.
Bronski shook his head. 'They look as if they're worshipping the sun. Its
equivalent, I mean. But they can't be. No Jew would even think of worshipping an
idol.'
 'We'll find out in time,' Orme said. He sat down at the table and began
cutting into the ham left by Sha'ul.
'They're watching you,' Bronski said. 'I think they left the ham to see if
you'd eat it.'
Orme chewed vigorously. 'Man, that tastes good! I'm crazy about ham,
bacon, sausages. Anything that comes from a pig, including the feet.'
'You mean hoofs.'
'We call it pig's feet.'
Bronski gestured irritation. 'I don't think you should have accepted it. It
might make a difference in their attitude towards us.'
Orme looked surprised. 'Why? What do they care what I eat?'
'The ancient Hebrews wouldn't eat at the same table with a Gentile. My
parents wouldn't either.'
Orme forked in another large piece. 'Something like in my grandparents'
day, when whites wouldn't eat with blacks?'
'No, it's not the same thing at all. Gentiles ate ritually unclean food, tabu
food. So, to keep from being unclean, the Hebrews refused to eat with Gentiles.
They could become impure just by proximity.'
'But they did regard Gentiles as being inferior, didn't they? Gentiles were
not the chosen people of God:'
'Not theoretically. All people were equal in the eyes of God. But practically,
I suppose, the Hebrews couldn't keep from acquiring an attitude of moral
superiority.'
A series of short whistles announced that lunch had been delivered.
Bronski removed the two trays from the recess, put one on the table, and took
the other to a chair.