"Monica Hughes - Devil On My Back" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hughes Monica)

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In the next six weeks Tomi and his class accessed another four paks. Now, at last, he really understood
the noble purpose of ArcOne: to keep civilized Man and his knowledge safe through the Age of
Confusion. Once that was over they would once more go out into the world and start again. Only this
time there would be no mistakes. It made one proud to be a Lord.
Day after day he acquired more knowledge, until the stoop of his shoulders almost matched that
of Lord Vale himself. At the end of six months only three of the original ten in his class remained. The
others had fallen out, to become soldiers or skilled technical workers. Luck or brains? Tomi wondered
about it and on the last day of Access drew a sigh of relief. He'd made it to the top!
"I knew you would not let down our House," Lord Bentt said calmly.
The Lady Bentt patted her son's cheek with a soft hand. "Yes indeed, Tomi, I will design a New
Lords gown for you myself, and my women and slaves will start weaving it at once."
Even Seventy-Three congratulated him. But of course there was an honor in being the slave of
one of the chief families: an honor to the House was also an honor to its slaves. Tomi nodded casually
and went on thinking about the Togethering and the Feast. He never noticed the hurt expression on the
slaves face.
To honor the New Lords the people of ArcOneтАФ excluding the slaves, of course, who weren't
really peopleтАФwere to gather in Assembly for a Togethering, followed by a great feast for all, Lords and
Ladies, soldiers and workers. This time, the feast was to honor him. And Denn and Matt, of course, he
remembered hastily.
As soon as the computer awakened him on the special day Tomi jumped out of bed. He took
extra care showering, making sure that there was not a single slavish hair on his face or head or arms. He
dressed in his finest undershorts and shirt and draped the new robe across his shoulders, so that the great
mound of infopaks showed to advantage. His mother's design was beautiful, woven of the finest synthetic
in pale blue, with a design along one selvage of green, purple and silver that cunningly interwove the Bentt
family crest, Tomi's name and the date.
He looked at himself in the mirror and admired his lordly stoop and paunch. He ran his mind
lovingly over his store of knowledge. It gave him a comfortable feeling of power.
After a leisurely breakfast Lord Bentt rose and offered his arm to the Lady Bentt. Then he turned
to Tomi. "Come, my son." Son, he said and smiled. Yes, it really was a smile. He gestured for Tomi to
walk upon his other side.
Seventy-Three knelt at the door to fasten their sandals, and to whisk away imaginary dust from
their ceremonial robes. Her face was tense and she went on flicking and twitching at Tomi's robe until he
pushed her hand away.
"Enough! Wish me joy if you will, but stop fussing."
"Take care, my Young Lord."
Take care. What an odd well-wishing, Tomi thought, but then forgot about it as they joined the
crowds outside. The South Quad was already thronged with eager holiday-makers, and the Assembly
was almost full as they made their entrance. Had Father planned it so?
The seats of the Lords, covered in pale blue, circled the central dais. Behind them were ringed
the red seats of the soldiers, and behind them rank on rank of brown seats where the workers crowded
and jostled, eagerly whispering together. It hummed like a hive. Of the twelve thousand inhabitants of the
City nearly ten thousand were present to watch the formal Lording of Tomi Bentt! And Matt and Denn,
he reminded himself.
The Bentts settled in their accustomed seats in the front circle facing the stone block on the dais
that centered the room. Slowly the lights dimmed. Voices hushed into silence. The blue flame that
hovered above the altar grew until it was as high as a man. As high as a tree.
"You are a vital part of the City." A voice spoke softly inside Tomi's head. He could never
remember afterwards if it had been a man's voice or a woman's. He only remembered that it was gentle
and firm and he could have listened to it for ever.