"Philip Jose Farmer - Tongues of the Moon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Farmer Phillip Jose)

converted to Judaism some time after World War II, had emigrated to Israel. He had married a Sabra of
Danish-Polish-Scotch descent. The second son of this union had taken to wife a woman of Dutch-Czech-Algerian
ancestry. Moshe, their last child, was born in northern Alaska; his parents had been among the victims of the Third
Diaspora, moved by the Soviets in their effort to demolish forever the Israeli state and Judaism.
Moshe Yamanuchi was the only "Jew" on the Moon. It was said that Moshe had been assigned there by
mistake. He was not listed as having a religion and he had applied for membership to the Communist Party. The
officials who had sent him to the Moon had been misled by his surname, and so on. When it finally became known,
and Scone was notified that a man of Jewish "blood" was under his command, nothing was done about it. Yamanuchi
was a likeable and valuable man, and people found it difficult to believe that he could actually be a Jew. He didn't fit
the picture.
Moshe himself, though he claimed to be an atheist, joked about his divinity. He was both the son of David
and the Sun-goddess. The blood of Solomon and Abraham and the Mikados flowed in a duke's mixture through his
veins, he said, although it flowed somewhat sluggishly, since it was also cold Alaskan blood.
Now, looking at Yamanuchi, Broward thought of Scone's motives for sending this man with him. He was as
good as any for a job like this, better than most. Yet, if he did not return, he would be a victim of Scone's "killing two
birds with one stone" policy. Scone would have rid himself of the "Japanese Jew."
The two men greeted Broward. Wellers began at once to give them information by lecture and by the scope
pictures on the console. Photographs, diagrams, mathematical equations, lines of text appeared on the large screen.
Wellers explained in a high-pitched monotonous voice. Two hours later, the two soldiers knew thoroughly the
essential details. The vital mathematical facts involving the navigational problems were already taped and checked and
on the way to the ship. "Both the ship and your mobile suits will be extra-protected from the high radiation by the
misnamed anti-fields," said Wellers. "You'll be safeтАФas long as the field generators work. They have been known to
malfunction at critical occasions."
"It's like getting a pep talk from Father Death himself," Yamanuchi said.
"I wish I could be with you," Wellers replied. "You'll be getting a direct observation of what's happened to
Earth." Broward shuddered and said, "'If I had my way, you could take my place."
The IP shrilled. "Captain Broward! Report at once to Section G."
Broward went to the IP. "Broward speaking. Any idea why I'm wanted in G?"
"This is Eilers, Sperm Bank. We want a deposit, Captain. Scone's orders."
Broward said, "Received. Be there in a minute." Then, as an afterthought, "What about Captain Yamanuchi"
"I've got no orders about him."
"Has he already made a deposit?"
"Young and Yexa are the only ones in the Y file. Why?"' "Nothing," said Broward.
He was sick. Yamanuchi, the handsome, intelligent, and tough one, was to be denied a chance to contribute
to the betterment of the human species. Scone did not want "tainted" genes.
"Don't look so stricken," Moshe said. He was smiling. "I know exactly why I'm not being asked to commit the
sin of Onan. But Scone's dealing with a very tricky Jew. I've already taken the necessary stepsтАФhorizontally, that is, if
you can take steps horizontallyтАФto ensure that I have at least two children. Maybe more, since twins run in my
family."
Broward grinned and said, "Do I understand... ? Why, you philandering barnyard rooster, you!"
"If there is one trait I have inherited from my remote ancestor, King David, it is a powerful hunger for beautiful
women and the ability to, pardon the expression, draw them like flies to honey. There are two lovely
femalesтАФdiscretion and an old-fashioned sense of honor seal my lips concerning their namesтАФwho at this moment
are nourishing the fruits of our loves in their wombs.
"In death-time, a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of love. In other words, when I considered that my
line, my species, might become extinct unless I did my duty, I seed my duty and I done it, no pun intended it. Although
I must admit I enjoyed it, and I don't mean the pun."
"If Scone hears of this," Broward said, "he'll have you shot. You know what a stiff-necked moralist he is,
when it comes to sex, anyway."
"While others dawdle, I delve," Moshe replied. "And he won't hear of it. Not unless..."