"Leo Frankowski & Dave Grossman - The War With Earth" - читать интересную книгу автора (Frankowski Leo)

engine in their automobiles, and it didn't happen for a long, long time.
"It's closer to four and a half years since you first enlisted."
That brought me back to reality in a hurry. "Good God! But that's impossible! I've
only been out for a haircut once, and that was after only a few months. I can't be wearing
four years of hair and beard! I'd smother!"
"You are quite clean shaven and bald, Mickolai. Hair growth is inhibited by one of
the chemicals I feed you, and the skin on your head is kept clean by a bioengineered
fungus, a slight modification of a symbiotic fungus that you've had on your skin all your
life. You were in Dream World when the incident happened that you are thinking of, the
one where you saw Kasia in the tank next to you. It wasn't real. I'm not sure why you
went through it. Some of my programming isn't completely up to date, although perhaps
there were psychological reasons why the programmers included it in your training. The
other incidents involving shaving and haircuts were added for consistency."
"That means that I never married Kasia, either!"
"I'm afraid that by your standards, you are still single. I mean, that was not a real
human priest who married you and Kasia. We didn't have one available."
"God damn you! God damn you all to hell!" I was so angry that all I could do was sit
there and shake.
After a bit, Agnieshka put her hand on my shoulder. "Mickolai . . ."
"Shut the hell up!" Not being a hero, I could take. Not being a wealthy land owner, I
could take. Not being a general, I could take. Not being married to Kasia, I could not
take, dammit!
 INTERLUDE ONE

THE RIGELLIAN INSTITUTE OF
ARCHEOLOGY, 3783 a.d.
Secretary Branteron said, "Rupert, I continue to be absolutely amazed! After
yesterday's performance, I took the liberty of inviting Sir Rodney and Sir Percival from
our board of directors to review with me these remarkable computer records that you
were able to salvage."
After politely sniffing the exalted gentlemen, and being smelled in return, Rupert
said, "Thank you, sir. I of course know these excellent gentlemen by reputation, but I
have never had the singular honor of actually meeting them in person before."
Sir Rodney said, "Judging from what little I've seen thus far, it might be that the
honor of this meeting is mine and not yours. I too am amazed that you were able to
extract such complete computer records from a military vehicle that was fifteen hundred
years old. In all of the years since the tragedy, we have all felt such deep sympathy for
the wonderful human race that was so sadly lost. We all have a profound sense of loyalty
to our former masters, down in our very genes from the many millennia of
companionship we shared with them, and now, at last, you have been able to bring us the
very thoughts of a true human being. For this, we thank you with all of our hearts."
"Amen to that," Sir Percival said. "I trust that you were able to get your amazing
discovery back here without difficulty?"
"Yes, Sir Percival, we got it back, though not completely intact, of course. I had
already disabled the weapons, but the people in customs were quite officious about
disabling those parts of the find that had Dream World capability."
Sir Percival said, "As well they should be! It was a far more insidious habit than the
drugs used in even earlier periods. But surely the information itself would be safe
enough, and I trust that the inspectors didn't dare tamper with it."
"No sir, I believe that I have it all, as well as a complete twenty-third-century Mark