"Carolyn Ives Gilman - Okanoggan Falls" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gilman Carolyn Ives)

response, and makes your lives much harder."

"But, Captain, there are some things that ought to be protested."

"What things?"

"Folly. Malice. Injustice."

He cut her off in a pained tone. тАЬThese things are part of the nature of the world. There is nothing we can
do to prevent them."

"You would not even try?тАЭ she said.

"Life is not just. Fairness is a fool's concept. To fight brings only disillusion."

"Well, we are different. We humans can put up with a thousand evils so long as we think they are fair.
We are striving all the time to bring about justice, in ourselves and our society. Yours too, if you would
just let us."

"So your truculence is all an effort to improve us?тАЭ the Wattesoon said.

Surprised, Susan laughed. тАЬWhy, Captain Groton, no one told me your people had a sense of irony."

He seemed taken aback by her reaction, as if he regretted having provoked it.

"I was not laughing at you,тАЭ she explained hastily. тАЬAt least, not in any way you would not wish."

"You cannot know what I would wish,тАЭ he said stiffly.

She said, тАЬOh, I don't know about that.тАЭ For the time being, here out of all official contexts, he seemed
just as difficult and contradictory as any human male. Speculatively, she said, тАЬYour answer just now,
about justice. You sounded bitter, as if you spoke from some experience. What was it?"

He stared at her with that unreadable, granitic face. For a few moments she thought he wasn't going to
answer. Then he said, тАЬIt is in the past. There is no point in talking about it. Today is today. I accept
that."

They remained silent for a while, listening to the sounds of life all around. At last Susan said, тАЬWell, the
great injustice of our lives is still in the future."

The thought of it flooded into her. All of this gentle valley would be gone soon, turned into an open
wound in the landscape. Tears came to her, half anger and half loss, and she got up to go back inside.
When she reached the back porch, she paused to compose herself, wiping the tears from her face.
Captain Groton, who had followed her, said in a startled voice, тАЬYou are secreting moisture."

"Yes,тАЭ she said. тАЬWe do that from time to time, in moments of intense emotion."

"I wishтАФтАЭ he started, then stopped.

"Yes? What do you wish?"