"Alan Dean Foster - Humanx 1 - Midworld" - читать интересную книгу автора (Foster Alan Dean)

They reached the barrier well before darkness. In
front of them, the hylaea seemed to become a single
treeтАФthe Home-tree. Only the Pillars themselves were
bigger, and the Home-tree was a monstrously big
tree for certain. Broad twisting branches and vines-d-
own shot out in all directions. Air-trees and cubbies
and lianas grew in and about the tree's own growth.
Born noted with satisfaction that only plants which
were innocuous or helpful to the Home-tree grew on
it. His people kept the Home-tree well and, in turn,
the Home-tree kept them.

The vines-of-own were lined with flowers of bright
pink, with pollen pods which sat globelike within
them. These pods were akin to the yellow tank
seeds that made the snufflers such deadly weapons,
but far more sensitive. A single touch on the sensi-
tive pink surface would cause the paper-thin skin to
rupture, sending a cloud of dust into the air that
would kill any animal inhaling it, whether through
nostril, pore, or other air exchanger. The vines en-
tangled and crossed the tree in the middle of the
Third LevelтАФthe village levelтАФforming a protective
net of deadly ropes around it.

Bom approached the nearest, leaned over and spat
directly into the center of one of the blossoms, avoid-
ing the pod. The blossom quivered, but the pod did
not burst. The pink petals closed in on themselves.
A pause, then the vines began to curl and tighten
like climbing vines hunting for a better purchase. As
they retracted, a clear path was formed through which
Bom and Ruumahum strode easily. Even as Ruuma-
hum was through, the outermost vines were already
relaxing once again, expanding, coming together and

shutting off the pathway. The bloom into which Bom
had spat opened its petals once more to drink the faint
evening light.

A casual observer would note that Bom's saliva had
disappeared. A chemist would be able to tell that it
had been absorbed. A brilliant scientist might be able
to discover that it had been more than absorbedтАФ
it had been analyzed and identified. Bom knew only
that carefully spitting into the bloom seemed to tell
the Home-tree who he was.

As he walked toward the village proper he tried
to whistle happily. The song died aboming. His mind