"Jacqueline Lichtenberg - Dushau Trilogy 03 - Outreach" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lichtenberg Jacqueline)

mistake, even though they had no Sentient computer to oversee the process. Waiting in the clean,
mechanized environment, Jindigar felt a peculiar relaxation stealing over him, a rush of nostalgia strong
enough to take his breath away.

Onset' instability again! But he admitted that the rustic life had already begun to wear on him. He
wanted to go home. Very soon now this lab would be gone, and for centuries to come, they would have
nothing like it. This is what it meant to be a colonistтАФnot just exile, but exile from the very roots of being.

He shook himself and paced, ignoring the concerned glances of his Outriders as he worked to suppress
the Renewal-based alienation. It was the main reason Dushau had no colonies. Deepest consciousness
rejected any world but Dushaun itself during Renewal.

After a time, the Cassrian returned with an injector loaded with a vial of colorless fluid, "This should do it
if she's fighting any relative of whatever you picked up."

"It's a good guess," assured Storm. "Krinata has spent most of her time with Jindigar."

The Cassrian supplied them with a human-care kit, one of the few left. "If she doesn't rally, try this.
ButтАФ"

"We know," said Cyrus. "There aren't many kits left."

After the off world supplies were gone, they would have to rely on what they'd learned to gather and
process from the countryside. They had quite a sophisticated pharmacopoeia already, but without an
Oliat to develop native medicines, the death rate would soar.

The trip back to the Dushau compound was made in an increasing downpour. As they passed through
the outer gate, they found a Holot wrapped in a formless slicker pacing back and forth on the porch of
the Outriders' quarters. The Holot тАв was reared up on the hindmost pair of limbs, the upper pair clutching
the drenched slicker tight about the head, the middle pair fastidiously hidden beneath the cape.

"Ah, there you are!" called the Holot, and Jindigar recognized her voiceтАФthe chief executive of the
colony's ephemeral government.

"Terab!" called Storm, preceding them.

By the time Jindigar and Cyrus reached the porch, Storm had briefed her. She pushed her slicker aside
with her two middle limbs. The steamy odor of her wet fur around her barrel body assailed them all. The
damp bothered the Holot, but the day would seem warm enough to her. "There's a meeting this afternoon
in the big barnтАФand the committees want the Oliat to attend."

Terab was nominally head of the colony's government, but power was spread through committees
elected by each species. In designing the structure they had blended ideas from all five species while
trying to avoid the dead Empire's mistakes. The result, Jindigar felt sure, would not last longтАФbut it didn't
bother ephemerals that things they built didn't last.

"The Outreach is very sick," answered Cyrus for Jindigar. "The Oliat is adjourned, but I reallyтАФ"

Jindigar stayed him with a hand. "We cannot attend."