"Jay Lake - To Live Forever" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lake Jay)

the Children?тАЭ

The smith shook his head. тАЬYou said no one teaches the Lost. Listen, then.
The threads are a manifestation of the Children. The ChildrenтАЩs Compact was an
infection as much as anything. In an adult, it is passive, symbiotic, maintaining the
host in youth and health. We look to live forever, barring accident, injury or murder,
because we are filled with their power. Have you seen the inside of a manтАЩs arm,
perhaps laid open in a duel?тАЭ

Gestas nodded. тАЬYes, my own, in the moments before it closed to heal.тАЭ

тАЬThen you are aware that the muscles are shot through with white threads.
Those are a part of the infection. If you ever saw the brain of a corpse, you would
see the same, in great knots. Some say they only have minds because of us, that the
Children were dumb as animals before we came and they stole our thoughts. I do
not know. But iron in concentration unbinds the threads and draws them out. They
are sensitive to it, and afraid.тАЭ

тАЬSo why arenтАЩt we affected by iron the way the Deadwalker was?тАЭ

тАЬLook at your thigh.тАЭ

Gestas drew his leg up out of the water. The deep cut in his thigh still bled.
тАЬBy the Pilots, I have had this cut for an hour and a half.тАЭ

тАЬIf you can stand the touch, pull the wound open for a moment. You should
see no white threads. They have retreated, leaving that part of you vulnerable.тАЭ

тАЬI choose to believe you,тАЭ said Gestas. тАЬSo the Child trap does work on us,
just slower.тАЭ

тАЬExactly,тАЭ Ahasuerus said. тАЬDid you notice the DeadwalkerтАЩs threads were
black? That is a much later stage of the infection than our white threads. The brain
tissue is overwhelmed, the Children are in direct control. In you and me, their
influence is much lighter, so the influence of iron is as well.тАЭ

Gestas stared at his bloody hands, two nails torn loose on the right from his
scrubbing. тАЬThere is so little distance between the Deadwalkers and the Lost. We
never know our children.тАЭ

Freeing it from AhasuerusтАЩ loose grasp, Dismas tapped his cane on the
copper tub. тАЬSo you believe, about the children. What is on the bottom your left
foot, Gestas?тАЭ

тАЬMy birthmark. A small brown scar, narrowing at one end.тАЭ

DismasтАЩ face was set. тАЬI branded my newborn son, over one hundred thirty
years ago, by pressing the point of a hot poker to his left foot. The midwife tried to
kill me for it. Our differences resolved, we then laid him at the doorstep as the
ChildrenтАЩs Compact requires. He was gone in the morning light. I wanted a way to