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

exorcise the demon that drove Bom to such waste-
fulness, and had failed as many times. Bom had
submitted to such ministrations only at the urgings of
the worried chief couple. Sand and Joyla. Eventually,
Reader had given up, pronouncing Bom's aberrations
incurable. As long as he harmed no one, all agreed
to let Bom alone. All wished him well.

All save Losting, naturally. But Losting's dislike
had its roots not in Bom's aberrations, but in one of
his obsessions.

A drop of lukewarm rain hit Bom on the forehead,
trickled down his face. It was followed by another
and more. It was time to join the council.

He made his way back through the trunklets into
the village. The fire had been lit in the center of the
square on the place scorched tough and black by
many such fires. A broad canopy of woven leafleather
kept the rain off and there was room beneath for all
the villagers. Already most of the people were as-
sembled, Sand, Joyla, and Reader foremost among
them.

As he trotted down through the now steady rain,
he spotted Losting. Entering the circle, Bom took his

24

place among the men opposite his rival. Losting had
apparently learned of Bern's return and his offer of
the grazer pelt, for he glared with more venom than

usual across the fire at him. Bom smiled back pleas-
antly.

The steady patter of warm rain falling on the leaf-
leather and dripping to the wood-ground murmured in
counterpoint to the sounds of the assembled people.
Occasionally a child laughed, to be shushed by his
elders.

Sand raised an arm for silence. Beside him, Joyla did
likewise. The people became quiet. Sand, who had
never been a big manтАФperhaps about Bern's size-
now, shrunken and bent with age, appeared even
smaller. Nevertheless, his presence was still impres-