"Philip Jose Farmer - The Green Odyssey" - читать интересную книгу автора (Farmer Phillip Jose)

The Green Odyssey 3
 The Green Odyssey

From beneath the table rose the babble of the priest, Jugkaxtr, as he blessed everyone in the house, down to
the latestтИТborn pup, and the fleas living thereoff, and cursed all those who were possessed by even the tiniest
demon. The Duke, growing impatient at the noise, kicked under the table. Jugkaxtr yelped and presently
crawled out. He sat down and began gnawing the meat from a bone, a
wellтИТdoneтИТthouтИТgoodтИТandтИТfaithfulтИТservant expression on his fat features. Green also felt like kicking him,
just as he often felt like kicking every single human being on this planet. It was hard to remember that he
must exercise compassion and understanding for them, and that his own remote ancestors had once been just
as nauseatingly superstitious, cruel and bloody.

There was a big difference between reading about such people and actually living among them. A history or a
romantic novel could describe how unwashed and diseased and formulaтИТbound primitives were, but only the
tooтИТtoo substantial stench and filth could make your gorge rise.

Even as he stood there Zuni's powerful perfume rose and clung in heavy festoons about him and slithered
down his nostrils. It was a rare and expensive perfume, brought back by Miran from his voyages and given to
her as a token of the merchant's esteem. Used in small quantities it would have been quite effective to express
feminine daintiness and to hint at delicate passion. But no, Zuni poured it like water over her, hoping to cover
up the stale odor left by not taking a bath more than once a month.

She looked so beautiful, he thought. And stank so terribly. At least she had at first. Now she looked less
beautiful because he knew how stupid she was, and didn't stink quite so badly because his nostrils had
become somewhat adjusted. They'd had to.

"I intend to be back in Estorya by the time of the festival," said Miran. "I've never seen the Eye of the Sun
burn demons before. It's a giant lens, you know. There will be just time enough to make a voyage there and
get back before the rainy season. I expect to make even greater profits than the last time, because I've
established some highly placed contacts. O gods, I do not boast but merely praise your favor to your humble
worshiper, Miran the Merchant of the Clan of Effenycan!"

"Please bring me some more of this perfume," said the Duchess, "and I just love the diamond necklace you
gave me."

"Diamonds, emeralds, rubies!" cried Miran, kissing his hand and rolling his eye ecstatically. "I tell you, the
Estoryans are rich beyond our dreams! Jewels flow in their marketplaces like drops of water in a cataract! Ah,
if only the Emperor could be induced to organize a great raiding fleet and storm its walls!"

"He remembers too well what happened to his father's fleet when he tried it," growled the Duke. "The storm
that destroyed his thirty ships was undoubtedly raised by the priests of the Goddess Hooda. I still think that
the expedition would have succeeded, however, if the late Emperor had not ignored the vision that came to
him the night before they set sail. It was the great god Axoputqui, and he said..."

There was a lengthy conversation which did not hold Green's attention. He was too busy trying to think of a
plan whereby he could get to Estorya and to the demons' iron vessel, which was obviously a spaceship. This
was his only chance. Soon the rainy season would start and there would be no vessels leaving for at least