"Harrison, Harry - Eden 2 - Winter In Eden" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harrison Harry)

It was covered with fur. Not just a beard on the lower part of his face-but there was fur, soft brown fur over all of his face.


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CHAPTER SIX
uposmelikfarigi ikemespшyilanш. uposmelikyilanш ikemespшnшyil. eleiensi topaa abalesso.
Yilanш apothegm

A fargi lies down to sleep and one morning awakes a Yilanш. Since the egg of time a Yilanш who sleeps awakes always a Yilanш.




Vaintш looked at the activity in the port with great interest. Up until this moment Ikhalmenets had just been a name to her, sea-girt Ikhalmenets, almost always expressed that way and now she could see why. Ikhalmenets had grown along a curving natural harbor-the reason for the city's existence. All of the other islands in this group were rocky and barren. But not this one. It lay on the shore, at the base of the high mountain that caught the moist winds, cooled them to cloud as they rose up, until heavily burdened they released their moisture as snow and rain. The snow tipped white the mountain top while the rain ran down the slopes until it was funneled into the city.

But Ikhalmenets was more of the sea than of the land. Uruketo lined the shore, mixing with the smaller fishing boats heavy-laden with their catch. Erafnais called down instructions to guide the uruketo through the rush to a berth at the dock. Vaintш stood aside as the crewmembers climbed down from the fin and made the creature secure.

"All to remain on board," Erafnais ordered as she prepared to leave. Vaintш listened, then was careful to express no antipathy when she spoke.

"Is your order addressed to me as well, commander?"

Erafnais was immobile with thought; then she spoke. "I do not wish wild accounts of what occurred in Alpшasak to be spread through the city. I will talk with the Eistaa first and await her commands. But you-I cannot command you Vaintш. I can only ask you toЕ"

"The need to ask is superfluous/close-to-insult, commander."

"Never my intent!"

"That I realize, so no insult is taken. Vaintш does not gossip in the ambesed."

There was a wheezing behind them as Akotolp pulled her bulk to the top of the fin, laboring even harder as she hauled the protesting Esetta< after her. She signed dutiful-request to Erafnais.

"It is required that I relieve myself of the burden of this male creature. Your discussion was overhead, so take my assurance that in the doing of this labor in the city none shall hear from me of Alpшasak's destruction."

"It will be my duty to aid you," Vaintш said. "The male shall proceed between us to the hanalш. This will cause the least amount of disturbance/attraction among the fargi."

"I am in Vaintш's debt," Akotolp said with pleasure-of-gratitude. "A single male is a sight rarely seen. I do not wish to arouse unseemly emotions."

Erafnais turned her back, closed her mind on the matter. The stories would get out soon enough, though not from Vaintш and the scientist. But her crewmembers would be quick to gossip. Before this happened she had to seek out Lanefenuu, the Eistaa of Ikhalmenets, to report everything that she knew, everything that she had seen. It was a burden for an eistaa not for her and she yearned to be free of it.

While Akotolp climbed slowly down, Vaintш waited on the scarred wood of the dockside, her nostril flaps open wide to the drifting smells of the city, almost forgotten during the days at sea. Pungent odor of fish, warm breath of fargi, hints of decay from the undergrowth, while over it all lay the lush embrace of the growing city itself. Unexpected pleasure to be ashore moved through her body.

"Truly felt, Vaintш, and I share your emotion," Akotolp said as she came wide-mouthed to her side. Esetta<, held firmly by the wrist, looked around at the city with interest-though he shied away with quick fear when Vaintш took his other arm. Vaintш felt pleasure at this reaction and squeezed both of her thumbs together harder than she need. In this way they proceeded toward the main avenue leading into Ikhalmenets. Fargi turned to look at them with eye-widened interest and soon joined together and walked in a train behind. Vaintш examined her followers with one backward-turned eye, then signalled for attention.

"Whichever of you is with perfection-of-speaking and knowledge-of-city come forward."

There was a milling about as the gap-mouth youngsters in front pushed back with fear of confrontation. They were shoved aside by an older fargi.

"From one below to her highest with male attached. I have some knowledge and wish to be of aid."