"Charles L. Harness - The Ring of Ritornel" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harness Charles L)

Scanned by Aristotle


THE RING OF RITORNEL creates a future world of terror and beauty, peopled with
remarkable characters such as Omere, poet laureate of the home planet,
Goris-Kard, and his brother Jamie, who is trapped between the opposing forces
of Ritornel and Alea, a reluctant pawn in the future of his universe.
It is a science fiction novel of the most imaginative, poetic and stimulating
kind, and is at the same time an exciting allegory of birth and rebirth, life
and death, creation and re-creation.

THE RING OF RITORNEL
CHARLES L HARNESS
1. THE DIE IS FIRST CAST
"Magister," said the captain deferentially but firmly, "I will take you no
farther. We are now well beyond the danger point, and we have yet to dose the
quarry."
The young man in the simple blue tunic smiled. "Your jaw is set hard, Captain,
and your face is pale. Are you afraid?"
Captain Andrek studied his guest with blunt honesty. He found such chill
hauteur vaguely disquieting in one who had barely attained his majority. This,
he presumed, was the consequence of centuries of ancestors accustomed to
command. The young man's dark, humorless eyes held a striking presence; he
wore no ornament of rank, or badge of authority, nor had he need of any.
The captain thought briefly of his own background, and knew there was no
comparison. For generations the Andreks had given their share of professional
men to the advancement of their corner of civilization: military men,
physicians, advocates, artists, even theologians for the temples. The captain
had a tremendous respect for the nonviolent professions, but he loved space
andтАФsome saidтАФdanger, and was happiest in action and combat. He had long ago
reconciled himself to the probability that he would be killed in service. Yet,
now, when the moment seemed clearly upon him, he was shaken. It was all wrong.
This was not a proper way to die. Furthermore, he was totally unaccustomed to
this brute clash of wills. He did not know how to deal with it. Still, a
direct question had been put to him, and he had to try to answer it.
"Afraid, sire? I served with your father in the Terror mop-ups. After he died,
I served your uncle, the Regent. Next week, after your coronation, I hope I
will be privileged to serve you, as I have them. Until now, sire, no Delfieri
has asked me whether I was afraid. And until now, I have not been afraid. But
now . . . Yes, sire, I am afraidтАФthat you may not return from this hunting
trip. And it is a great fear."
"I have given you a direct order, Captain."
7
The officer stood mute.
It was suddenly becoming clear to the other officers and crew that in this
conflict between two personalities, the irresistible force, whose very whim
was the law of the Home Galaxy, had finally met an immovable objectтАФtheir
captain. And it was equally clear that this kind of thing had never before
happened to the young man in blue. At first, he was too astonished to be
angry. Even when he got over his surprise, he was still not angry; only