"Alan Dean Foster - Flinx 10 - Sliding Scales" - читать интересную книгу автора (Foster Alan Dean)

тАЬNot to mention myself, eh?тАЭ He sat up a little straighter, brushing leaves and the tips of small
branches away from his legs and sides. Several of them, very subtly, retracted without having to be
touched. тАЬYou know, ship, IтАЩve been thinking about everything Bran and Tru told me, about all that we
discussed, and the longer I ponder on it, the more my inclination is to say the hell with it, the hell with
everything. Except for Clarity, of course.тАЭ

тАЬI sense that this energetic verbal response is not an indication of a lightening of mood.тАЭ
тАЬDamn right it isnтАЩt. Give me one good reason why I shouldnтАЩt do exactly that?тАЭ

The ship did not hesitate. тАЬBecause if you do nothing, there is a strong likelihood that everything and
everyone in this galaxy will perish, with the concomitant possibility that the ultimate responsibility will
be yours.тАЭ

He rolled his eyes. тАЬAll rightтАФgive me another reason.тАЭ

Surprisingly, the ship did not respond. Advanced AI circuitry notwithstanding, there were still
occasional matters that required a certain modicum of cybernetic reflection. This, apparently, was one
of them. Or else, he told himself, it was simply pausing for dramatic effect, something it was quite
capable of doing.

тАЬYou are not thinking with your usual clarityтАФif you will pardon my use of that word in this context. I
have been meditating on this situation for some days now, and I believe I may have, in the course of
researching and studying the matter, come to a possible solution.тАЭ

For the first time all day, Flinx showed some real interest. тАЬYou donтАЩt say? What have you been
studying? Human psychoanalysis?тАЭ

тАЬNothing so imprecise. Human behavior can be slotted, albeit with variations, into specific categories.
Analysis of yours suggests that you have been laboring under immense mental pressure for some time
now.тАЭ

The tone of his reply was sardonic. тАЬThatтАЩs hardly a news bulletin, ship. Tell me: what prescribed
remedy have you uncovered?тАЭ

The ship could not keep a note ofтАФartificial?тАФaccomplishment from creeping into its dulcet
electronic tones. тАЬPhilip LynxтАФyou need a vacation. That one quick recent visit to Moth was not
nearly what is required. You need a vacation from your concerns, your worries, your fears. From
trying to see and learn and study. From the immense threat that looms over the galaxy. From yourself.тАЭ

It was not the response he had expected. Initially cynical, he found himself more than a little intrigued.
тАЬYou mean I need to spend time on a beach somewhere, or go for extended hikes in some woods? IтАЩve
done all that.тАЭ

тАЬNo. ItтАЩs true you have been to such places and done those things, but it was always with some specific
purpose in mind. You need to go somewhere and do some things to no purpose. You need to just тАШbeтАЩ
for a while. This is a necessity for the health of any human. The library of me says so.тАЭ

He considered thoughtfully before finally responding, тАЬI donтАЩt know if I can do that, ship. I never
have.тАЭ