"Barry N. Malzberg - Jobs Partner" - читать интересную книгу автора (Malzberg Barry N)

authority, the calm of one clearly used to being in charge. "Except we want you
to agree to give us the baby after he's born."

"He? How do you know?" She gazed at her belly, moving with the movements of the
baby.

"We see through solidity, unlike you humans. We pass through solidity --that's
how we got in here. We aren't limited by your physical laws."

"Or our emotional ones."

The Tall One's movements resembled a shrug. "True. But we are not devoid of
compassion either."

"Compassion?" She laughed bitterly. "And you persecute me like this? Get me sent
to a nuthouse because no one will believe me about you?"

"We'll leave you alone when you promise us the baby."

Baby. Crowing and capering and bouncing around her belly, regaling her with
little internal kicks. Baby -- soon to appear (next month), its pudgy fists
dimpling as they closed over her finger, tiny lips pulling eagerly on her
breast, amid tiny contentment noises. She cradled her belly.

"What do you need a baby for?"

A trio of sighs. Why, she wondered, did all visitations come in threes? Angels
to Abraham, shepherds to Mary, Trinity to Paul? Three wishes. Three Wise Men.

"We've been through all this already," the Tall One said, ripples of trembling
light cascading toward her.

"No we haven't."

"All right." Another sigh as the Tall One seemed to settle back on formless
haunches. "Your people are destroying the Earth. Holes in ozone, poisons on
plants, smog hugging your cities. Your race will not survive. Your planet will
be annihilated. So -- the baby. We will raise Baby. Teach him all we know.
Return him to Earth when he's grown. As long as there is one among you who
possesses our secrets, your planet will survive."

"I don't get it." She hid her face in her hands, tears scalding her fingers.

"It's no reflection on you," said one of the Short Ones kindly. "Your race is
significantly lower in intelligence than most of the others in the galaxy."

She glanced up quickly. "How do you know?"
The Tall One laughed -- droplets of mirthful light bouncing off walls and floor.
"We are the Doers of Giving on our Planet. It is our sacred task to travel to
distant galaxies, rescuing inhabitants from their own follies."