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

"Explanation satisfactory. Now tell me who leads you?"

"Ugunenapsa, for it is her example-"

"Enough! I refer to your physical presence in this despicable orchard. Who among you is in charge?"

"None, for we are all equalЕ"

Ambalasi silenced her with a rude gesture normally used only when commanding fargi, raking her toenails along the ground with great agitation. "Silence! Your Ugunenapsa has a lot to answer for. There must be someone who stands above you in this hierarchy of mindlessness. Enge, do you see her there? Good. Can she command you?"

"Certainly. I have heard much of her and her wisdom and would willingly do as she commanded."

"At last, communication. The three of us will speak together at once. After that has been done you will stay by my side at all times and will do as I order. Will you do this if she tells you to?"

Elem signed pleased agreement and Ambalasi dismissed her quickly before she could begin again on Ugunenapsa.




The island just off the coast of Gendasi, south of Alpшasak, was small and crowded with quickly grown structures, most of them little more than covers to keep the rain off. Only the joined rooms where Ukhereb labored had any look of permanence, solidity. The eistaa, Lanefenuu, had been taken there when she emerged from the uruketo that had brought her across the ocean, but she listened to the explanations with bored disinterest, caring only about the results of the scientists' labors, not the details. Only the masinduu drew more than casual attention.

"This is very amusing," Lanefenuu said. "You must grow me one to take back to Ikhalmenets. I have never seen anything like it before."

"The reason for that, Eistaa," Akotolp said with some pride, "is that it has never existed before. Ukhereb and I needed to work with the new plants we developed, to work together on their modification. But they are most difficult to handle since they are so poisonous. For this we needed the magnifying abilities of the sanduu. You know the creature I refer to?"

"I do not," Lanefenuu said, proud of her ignorance. "I am much too busy to devote my time to a study of your squalid beasts."

"Perfectly correct, Eistaa," Akotolp said. "It is a messy occupation. Explanation-offered. The sanduu magnifies, that is it makes things look bigger, up to two hundred times bigger and is an essential scientific tool. However, only one Yilanш at a time can use it-Ukhereb and I needed to work together. Therefore we developed this masinduu, which might be called an image-projecting sanduu. We use it in microsurgery, but now we are using it to show you pictures of what we have done, without the necessity of exposing your honored body to the dangers involved."

"This honored body is much pleased by your efforts. And what may this thing be that we are looking at?"

Akotolp turned one eye toward the brightly lit image on the wall. Sunlight fell on the eye of the masinduu in the outer wall, was amplified to project the multifaceted and brilliant image. "Those are diatoms, Eistaa, tiny creatures that live in the sea. We use them to adjust the masinduu. The colors that you see are generated by a polarized filterЕ" Akotolp broke off when Lanefenuu signed boredom-of-scientific-detail.

The room brightened as Ukhereb entered, followed by a fargi carrying a tray of pictures.

"All is ready, Eistaa," she said, motioning the fargi to put down the tray and leave. "Here are the latest prints and they will show you the unqualified success of our efforts on your behalf."

"Begin at once," Lanefenuu commanded.

The imaged diatoms vanished and a seascape took its place. Beyond the sea was a green coastline above white beaches. As Ukhereb talked she manipulated the masinduu so that one image faded into another so it appeared that the coast grew closer.

"This is the shore of Gendasi, south of the city of Alpшasak. We selected this site since we could establish ourselves there unobserved. The temperature and soil are the same as the city so our plants could develop in the correct environment."

"Why not go to the city itself?" Lanefenuu asked.

"The ustuzou have occupied it," Vaintш said as she entered. "I went there to see. Not all of the city was burned-but it is filled with these vermin."

"Whose destiny is death, Vaintш," Lanefenuu said. "I ordered your presence because these accomplished scientists have arranged a demonstration of what has been accomplished here in my name. You will watch with me since you have created all this."