"Lafferty, R A - Among the Hairy Earthmen" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lafferty R A)

ian, or he was Danish. How many places did you tell them
that you came from, Michael Goodgrind?
Belgrad, Trebizond, Morat, Blackheath, Napoli, Dornach!
Cupua and TarantoRalpha's armies beat Michael's at
both of those.
CarignolaLonnie foxed both Michael and Ralpha there,
and nearly foxed himself. (You didn't intend it all that way,
Lonnie. It was seven-cornered luck and you know it!)
Garigliano where the sea was red with blood and the ships
were like broken twigs on the water!
Brescia! Ravenna! Who would have believed that such
things could be done with a device known as Spanish in-
fantry?
Villalar, Milan, Pavia! Best of all, the sack of Rome! There
were a dozen different games blended into that one. The
Eretzi discovered new emotions in themselves therea
deeper depravity and a higher heroism.
Siege of Florence! That one called out the Children's every
trick. A wonderfully well played game!
Turin, San Quentin, Moncontour, Mookerhide!
Lepanto! The great sea-siege where the castled ships broke
asunder and the tall Turk Ochiali Pasha perished with all his
fleet and was drowned forever. But it wasn't so forever as you
might suppose, for he was Michael Goodgrind who had more
bodies than one. The fish still remember Lepanto. Never had
there been such feastings.
Alcazar-Quivar! That was the last of the excellent ones
the end of the litany. The Children left off the game. They
remembered (but conveniently, and after they had worn out
the fun of it) that they were forbidden to play Warfare with
live soldiers. The Eretzi, left to themselves again, once more
conducted their battles as dull and uninspired affairs.
You can put it to a test, now, tonight. Study the conflicts of
the earlier times, of this high period, and of the time that
followed. You will see the difference. For a short two or three
centuries you will find really well contrived battles. And
before and after there is only ineptitude.
Often the Children played at Jealousies and raised up all
the black passions in themselves. They played at Immoralities,
for there is an abiding evil in all children.
Maskings and water-carnivals and balls, and forever the
emotional intrigue!
Ralpha walked down a valley, playing a lute and wearing
the body of somebody else. He luted the birds out of the trees
and worked a charm on the whole countryside.
An old crone followed him and called, "Love me when I'm
old."
"Semprernai, tuttavia," sang Ralpha in Eretzi or Earthian.
"For Ever, For Always."
A small girl followed and called, "Love me when I'm