"Eric Flint - Rats ,Bats and Vats" - читать интересную книгу автора (Flint Eric)

November 11, 1999



Dramatis Personae


Hominidae
CHIP, A Vat-grown conscript. A thing of rags and tatters.
GINNY, A damsel of high degree; and a secret.
FITZHUGH, The very model of a modern major.

Rattae
FAL, Great of appetite. Small of martial rigor.
DOLL, A rattess of negotiable virtue.
PHYLLA, A rattess. Though cattish of tongue.
MELENE, A rat-damsel of acumen, and a very attractive tail.
PISTOL, A rat-at-arms. One-eyed.
NYM, A giant among rats; and mechanically bent.
"DOC," A ratly philosopher and medic.
ARIEL, A rattess of fell repute. Fond of model majors.

Battae
BRONSTEIN, She-bat who must be obeyed.
SIOBHAN, A fussy mother-bat.
O'NIEL, A plump bat; but a true soul.
BEHAN, A loyal batty.
EAMON, A large and dangerous bat. And disgruntled.

Et Alia
PROF, Tutor to Ginny; remarkably like a sea urchin.
FLUFF, A galago, confused with Don Quixote.

And a supporting cast of: one Jampad, various stalwarts, innumerable fools,
and several million villainous Magh'.




[[Insert 2 maps here]]


Prologue:
A successful experiment.
THE EXPEDITER LISTENED in silence. With difficulty, it managed to remain
motionless. The Expediter was in the middle of its sex-interphase and the
hormonal changes always made it irritable. That irritability interfered with
its logical thought processes. The Expediter did not want to act out of simple
aggravation.
Should it continue to prevaricate?