"George R. R. Martin - Manna From Heaven" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin George R R)

тАЬThe dust,тАЭ she said. She had gotten it on her fingertips when she touched the manna plant...
BlackjackтАЩs growl was so low she felt it more than heard it..
Haviland Tuf folded his hands. тАЬOne might consider manna dust as an organic prophylactic of sorts,тАЭ he
said. тАЬYour biotechs will discover that it interferes powerfully, and permanently, with libido in the human
male and fertility in the human female. The mechanisms need not concern you.тАЭ
Tolly Mune stared at him, opened her mouth, closed it, blinked to hold back tears. Tears of despair,
tears of rage? She could not say. Not tears of joy. She would not let them be tears of joy. тАЬDeferred
genocide,тАЭ she said, forcing out the words. Her voice was hoarse and raw.
тАЬScarcely,тАЭ Tuf said. тАЬSome of your SтАЩuthlamese will display a natural immunity to the effects of the dust.
My projections indicate that somewhere between point oh-seven and point one-one percent of your base
population will be unaffected. They will reproduce, of course, and thus the immunity will be passed on
and grow more prevalent in successive generations. Yet a population implosion of considerable
magnitude will commence upon SтАЩuthlam this year, as the birth curve ceases its upward thrust and starts a
precipitous descent.тАЭ
тАЬYou have no right,тАЭ said Tolly Mune slowly.
тАЬThe nature of the SтАЩuthlamese problem is such so as to admit but one lasting and effectual solution,тАЭ Tuf
said, тАЬas I have told you from the very beginning.тАЭ
тАЬMaybe,тАЭ she said. тАЬBut so what? What about freedom, Tuf? What about individual choice? My people
may be selfish and short-sighted fools, but theyтАЩre still people, just like you. They have the right to decide
if theyтАЩre going to have children, and how many children. Who the hell gave you the authority to make
that decision for them? Who the hell told you to go ahead and sterilize our world?тАЭ She was growing
angrier with every word. тАЬYouтАЩre no better than we are. YouтАЩre only human, Tuf. A puling peculiar
human, IтАЩll give you that, but only humanтАФno more and no less. What gives you the goddamned right to
play god with our world and our lives?тАЭ
тАЬThe Ark,тАЭ Haviland Tuf said, simply.
Blackjack squirmed in her arms, suddenly restless, uneasy. Tolly Mune let him jump to the ground, never
taking her eyes off TufтАЩs blank white face. Suddenly she wanted to strike him, hurt him, wound that mask
of indifference and complacency, mark him. тАЬI warned you, Tuf,тАЭ she said. тАЬPower corrupts and absolute
power corrupts absolutely, remember?тАЭ
тАЬMy memory is unimpaired.тАЭ
тАЬToo bad I canтАЩt say the same thing about your goddamned morality,тАЭ said Tolly Mune. Her tone was
acid. Blackjack growled counterpoint at her feet. тАЬWhy the hell did I ever help you keep this goddamned
ship? What a damned fool I was! YouтАЩve been alone in a power fantasy too damn long, Tuf. Do you
think somebody just appointed you god, is that it?тАЭ
тАЬBureaucrats are appointed,тАЭ said Tuf. тАЬGods, insofar as they exist at all, are chosen by other
procedures. I make no claims to godhood in the mythological sense. Yet I submit that I do indeed wield
the power of a god, a truth that I believe you recognized long ago, when you first turned to me for loaves
and fishes.тАЭ When she began to reply, he raised a hand, palm outward. тАЬNo, kindly do not interrupt. I
will endeavor to be brief. You and I are not so different, Tolly MuneтАФтАЭ
тАЬWeтАЩre nothing alike, damn you!тАЭ she shrieked at him.
тАЬWe are not so different,тАЭ Tuf repeated calmly, firmly. тАЬYou once confessed that you were not a religious
woman; nor am I one to worship myths. I began as a trader, yet having come upon this ship called Ark, I
began to find myself dogged at every step by gods, prophets, and demons. Noah and the flood, Moses
and his plagues, loaves and fishes, manna, pillars of fire, wives of saltтАФI must needs have become
acquainted with all. You challenge me to declare myself a god. I make no such claim. And yet, it must be
said, my first act upon this ship, so many years ago, was to raise the dead.тАЭ He pointed ponderously at a
work station a few meters away. тАЬThere is the very spot at which I performed that first miracle, Tolly
Mune. Moreover, I do indeed wield godlike powers and traffic in the life and death of worlds. Enjoying
as I do these godlike abilities, can I rightfully decline the accompanying responsibility, the equally
awesome burden of moral authority? I think not.тАЭ