"Philip Jose Farmer - The Book of Philip Jose Farmer" - читать интересную книгу автора (Farmer Phillip Jose)

made his scheduled report over the transceiver to the circum-Martian vessel five
hundred and eight miles overhead. Then he did what men must do any place in the
universe. Afterward, he lay down in the bunk and opened the one personal book he
had been allowed to bring along, an anthology of the world's greatest poetry.
He read here and there, running, pausing for only a line or two, then
completing in his head the thousand-times murmured lines. Here and there he read,
like a bee tasting the best of the nectar --

It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying,
Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove,
my undefiled. . .

We have a little sister,
 And she hath no breasts;
What shall we do for our sister
In the day when she shall be spoken for?

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil for Thou art with me. . .

Come live with me and be my love
And we shall all the pleasures prove. . .

It lies not in our power to love or hate
For will in us is over-ruled by fate. . .

With thee conversing, I forget all time,
All seasons, and their change, all please alike. . .

He read on about love and man and woman until he had almost forgotten his
troubles. His lids drooped; the book fell from his hand. But he roused himself,
climbed out of the bunk, got down on his knees, and prayed that he be forgiven and
that his blasphemy and despair be understood. And he prayed that his four lost
comrades be found safe and sound. Then he climbed back into the bunk and fell
asleep.
At dawn he woke reluctantly to the alarm clock's ringing. Nevertheless, he did
not fall back into sleep but rose, turned on the transceiver, filled a cup with water and
instant, and dropped in a heat pill. Just as he finished the coffee, he heard Captain
Stroyansky's voice from the 'ceiver. Stroyansky spoke with barely a trace of Slavic
accent.
"Cardigan Lane? You awake?"
"More or less. How are you?"
"If we weren't worried about all of you down there, we'd be fine."
"I know. Well, what are your orders?"
"There is only one thing to do, Lane. You must go look for the others.
Otherwise, you cannot get back up to us. It takes at least two more men to pilot the
rocket."
"Theoretically, one man can pilot the beast," replied Lane. "But it's uncertain.
However, that doesn't matter. I'm leaving at once to look for the others. I'd do that
even if you ordered otherwise."