"Jacqueline Lichtenberg - SimeGen 02 - Channel's Destiny" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lichtenberg Jacqueline)

the woman goaded him on. Zeth tried to force his rubbery legs to work, trapped in a nightmare in which his body would not obey
his will.
When the Sime bent to slash at Owen, the boy tried to roll away, and the blade glanced off his shoulder, sending more pain into
the atmosphere. The Sime grasped Owen's left wrist with his left hand and tentacles, and with augmented strength brought the
knife slashing viciously through Owen's upper arm. Zeth clearly heard the crack of bone as, too late, he heaved himself at the man's
legs.
He was kicked away, stunned, and then the attacker was looming over him, bloody knife in hand, reaching for his arm.
Behind the man the thunder of hoofbeats rose. A shower of mud cascaded over Zeth. White hair flying, Abel Veritt loomed
astride his horse, wielding his whip with the skill of a Freehand Raider. The whip wrapped around the waist of Zeth's attacker, and
he was caught up and flung toward another rider.
It was Del Erick, Owen and Jana's father. There was a crunch louder than the hoofbeats as Erick broke the man's neck and
dropped him, not even looking back as he leaped from his horse and ran to where his children lay.
Veritt was there already, kneeling beside Owen. "Jana's arm is broken," he said. "It's not serious. But OwenтАФ"
 "Dear God!" Erick whisperedтАФand Zeth knew it was hopeless, for Mr. Erick, like his father, would not pray unless there were
nothing else a man could do.
Mr. Veritt, though, was saying, "HereтАФstop the bleeding. Somebody get Rimon!",
Relieved of having to try to move, Zeth watched Del Erick wrap handling tentacles to stop the bright blood spurting with every
beat of Owen's heart.
Veritt took off his jacket and put it carefully over Jana. Then he turned to Zeth. "Are you all right, son?"
"I'm not hurt," Zeth lied.
"Just knocked breathless, eh?" Veritt's eyes unfocused as he zlinned the boy. Then he nodded. "You'll be all right."
"But OwenтАФJanaтАФ" Tears choked Zeth's words. "Mr. Veritt, they said to cut off our arms so we'd die in changeover!"
Pure pain enveloped the old man's face. "They don't understand, Zeth. Killing is so much their way of life that it frightens them
that some people have learned to live without it." He sighed. "Fear is our real enemy, not the people whom it possesses."
"ButтАФwhat will happen to Owen?"
"I don't know, Zeth. It is in God's hands.','
"Will he die in changeover?" Zeth insisted. "That man cut his arm off. I saw. I couldn't st-stop him!" Zeth fought down a dizzy
nausea.
Veritt hugged him close, letting him cry, saying, "You tried. All God asks of us is to try our best, Zeth."
"But Owen's gonna die!"
Perhaps. Perhaps not. Pray for him, Zeth. That's all we can doтАФpray and await God's will."
But Rimon Farris did more than that when he arrived on the scene, his wife at his side. Veritt had gone back to kneel beside Del
Erick and Owen, while Zeth sat watching.
Farris began directing the people with him. "Take Jana to the houseтАФbrace that arm. It's a clean fracture, lord can set it. If she
wakes up, give her fosebine. Zeth, have Uel or Jord check you over. What were you kids doing here?"
"I only meant to help," said Zeth.
"Never mind," Farris replied. He was already kneeling beside Owen. "Shen and shid!" he swore as he zlinned the boy, then
looked into Del Brick's anguished eyes. "Del, he's alive. You kept him from bleeding to death, butтАФ"
Grimly, Erick said, "If you save his life, he'll die in changeover."
Abel Veritt gently urged Del to release his grip on his son, remaining with one arm about Brick's shoulders as Zeth's father took
over. The support Veritt gave was more than physicalтАФoften Zeth sensed something the older man gave to those who were
troubled, whether Sime, Gen, or child.
Zeth's mother took her place beside his father. When Mr. Veritt spoke of angels, Zeth envisioned his mother as she was now,
her flaming hair a halo, her hands steady on his father's shoulders as both concentrated on healing.
Blood spurted again from Owen's wound, but Farris quickly clasped the boy's arm with his own tentacles, holding and
slowly releasing, in a kind of trance, until finally he let go, and the bleeding did not start again.
When he sat back on his heels and opened his eyes, Del Erick asked, "Will he live?"
"I don't know," Farris replied. "I'm almost certain I could save a Gen with that woundтАФor a Sime if it were not an arm injury.
But it's so hard to influence a child's fields, Del."
"Try, Rimon!"