"William H. Keith Jr. - Warstrider 03 - Jackers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Keith jr William H)

Munimor-isama. I have never considered myself a religious
man. I am not sure that I believe in souls."
"So. A practical, pragmatic man, neh? Well, I believe. I
have seen too much not to believe. I sometimes wonder if,
by providing the gene-tailored shells of the inochi-zo, we
are not providing homes for the spirits of truly wicked men,
men being punished for unimaginable sins in past lives."
He slapped the bare flesh with a meaty smack, and it
writhed soundlessly as his hand lifted. "Perhaps after a
small eternity of suffering here, of providing us with
spiritual instruction, the way will be clear for this one's final
translation to Nirvana. Perhaps some pain here and now
will be accepted later with joy, once the Great Wheel's
cycle is broken."
Kawashima tried to formulate a polite response and
failed. He felt trapped by those shifting, pain-filled eyes
that begged him, soundlessly, for what he could not give,
for what Munimori refused to grant. What kind of mind, he
wondered, found fulfillment and contemplation in such a
sight?
"I have two orders for you, Chujosan." Munimori's tone
was brusque now, all business. "One for general
circulation, the second for you alone."
Stiff-armed, Munimori held out two message disks.
Bowing, Kawashima accepted them. Pressing the first
against the link circuitry embedded in his left palm, he felt
the trickle of data feeding from the disk to his cephlink
RAM. As he downloaded a keyword, the message
decoded itself, expanding within his mind's eye for his
inspection.
The message was short, an Imperial edict under
Munimori's sealтАж and from its content, Kawashima was
certain that Munimori had been the original author. It was
blunt and to the point, calling for the resignation of all
naval line officers who were not birth-citizens of Dai Nihon,
the "Greater Japan" that included territorial enclaves such
as the Philippines, Singapore, and the old Pacific
Northwest, as well as the original home islands.
Kawashima had been expecting such an order ever
since hearing of the Fushi Emperor's death. Many of his
gaijin officers had already offered their resignations,
knowing the mind of the new power behind the
Chrysanthemum Throne.
"Will the first order present difficulties, Chujosan?"
"There will be no problem, Munimorisama. It will be
welcome to many of my people."
"Good. Please take the second order, and examine the
introduction."
Pressing the second disk to the flesh and circuit wiring
of his palm, Kawashima felt the flow of a much longer