"Daniel F. Galouye - Dark Universe" - читать интересную книгу автора (Galouye Daniel F)

"Radiation--but you were a child then! And you came _here_--_this_ far
from the Lower Level?"
"More than once."
"Why?"
"To hunt for something."
"What?"
"Darkness."
Owen chuckled. "You don't _find_ Darkness. You _commit_ it."
"So the Guardian says. He shouts, 'Darkness abounds in the worlds of
men!' And he says that means sin and evil prevail. But I don't believe it
means that."
"What _do_ you believe?"
"Darkness must be something real. Only, we can't recognize it."
Again Owen laughed. "If you can't recognize it, then how do you expect
to find it?"
Jared disregarded the other's skepticism. "There's a clue. We know that
in the Original World--the first world that man inhabited after he left
Paradise--we were closer to Light Almighty. In other words, it was a good
world. Now -let's suppose there's some sort of connection between sin and evil
and this Darkness stuff. That means there must be _less_ Darkness in the
Original World. Right?"
"I suppose so."
"Then all I have to do is find something there's less of in the Original
World."
Clickstone echoes traced out a massive obstruction ahead and Jared
slowed his pace. He reached the barricade and explored it with his fingers.
Rocks, piled one upon the -other, stretched completely across the passage,
rearing up to his shoulder.
"Here it is," he announced, "--the Barrier."
Owen's grip firmed on his arm. "_The_ Barrier?"
"We can make it over the top easily."
"But--the law! We can't go past the Barrier!"
Jared dragged him along. "Come on. There are no monsters. Nothing to be
afraid of--except maybe a soubat or two."
"But they say it's worse than Radiation itself!"
"That's what they _tell_ you." By now Jared had him halfway up the
mound. "They even say you'll find the Twin Devils Cobalt and Strontium waiting
to carry you off to the depths of Radiation. Rot! Compost!"
"But the Punishment Pit!"
Scrambling down the other side, Jared rattled his clickstones with more
than one purpose in mind. Besides drowning out Owen's protests, the clatter
also plumbed the passage before them. Owen had somehow gotten in front and the
close-quarter echoes were clearly transmitting sonic impressions of a stocky
body, alert with tension and protected by outstretched, groping arms.
"For Light's sake!" Jared rebuked. "Get your hands down! I'll tell you
if you're going to bump into anything."
The next echo crest caught the other's shrug. "So I'm no good with
dickstones," he gruffed, stepping off in a resentful stride.
Jared followed, appreciating Owen's pluck. Cautious and hesitant, he
took things reluctantly. But when the final _click_ fetched its impression of