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

She wanted to reply, but the words would not come. HeтАЩs insane, Tolly Mune thought to herself.
тАЬFurthermore,тАЭ Tuf said, тАЬthe nature of the crisis on SтАЩuthlam was such that it admitted to a solution only
by godlike intervention. Let us suppose briefly that I consented to sell you the Ark, as you desired. Do
you truly suppose that any staff of ecologists and biotechs, however expert and dedicated, could have
devised a lasting answer? It is my belief that you are too intelligent to entertain such a fallacy. I have no
doubt that, with all the resources of this seedship at their beck and call, these men and womenтАФgeniuses
with intellects and training far superior to my ownтАФcould and would undoubtedly have devised
numerous ingenious stopgaps to allow the SтАЩuthlamese to continue breeding for another century, perhaps
two, perhaps even three or four. Yet ultimately, their answers too would have proven insufficient, as did
my own small attempts five years ago, and five years before that, and all the breakthroughs your
technocrats engineered in centuries past. Tolly Mune, there is no rational, equitable, scientific,
technological, or human answer to the dilemma of a population increasing in an insane geometric
progression. It admits to answering only with miraclesтАФloaves and fishes, manna from heaven, and the
like. Twice I failed as ecological engineer. Now I propose to succeed as the god that SтАЩuthlam requires.
Should I approach the problem as human a third time, I would assuredly fail a third time, and then your
difficulties would be resolved by gods crueler than myself, by the four mammal-riders of ancient legend
who are known as pestilence, famine, war, and death. Therefore, I must set aside my humanity, and act
as god.тАЭ He paused, looking at her, blinking.
тАЬYou set aside your damned humanity a hell of a long time ago,тАЭ she raged at him. тАЬBut youтАЩre no god,
Tuf. A demon, maybe. A puling megalomaniac, certainly. Maybe a monsterтАФyes, a puling abortion. A
monster, but no god.тАЭ
тАЬA monster,тАЭ said Tuf. тАЬIndeed.тАЭ He blinked. тАЬI had hoped that one of your undoubted intellectual
prowess and competence might display better understanding.тАЭ He blinked again. Twice, three times. His
long white face was as still as ever, but there was something strange in TufтАЩs voice that she had never
heard before, something that frightened her, that bewildered her and disturbed her, something that
sounded almost like emotion. тАЬYou slander me grievously, Tolly,тАЭ he protested.
Blackjack made a thin, plaintive meow.
тАЬYour cat displays a keener grasp of the cold equations of the reality confronting us,тАЭ Tuf said. тАЬPerhaps
I ought to explain again from the beginning.тАЭ
тАЬMonster,тАЭ she said.
Tuf blinked. тАЬMy efforts are eternally unappreciated and met only with undeserved calumny.тАЭ
тАЬMonster,тАЭ she repeated.
His right hand briefly curled into a fist, uncurled slowly and deliberately. тАЬIt appears some cerebral tic has
dramatically reduced your vocabulary, First Councillor.тАЭ
тАЬNo,тАЭ she said, тАЬbut thatтАЩs the only word that applies to you, damn it.тАЭ
тАЬIndeed,тАЭ said Tuf. тАЬIn that case, being a monster, it behooves me to act monstrously. Consider that, if
you will, as you grapple with your decision, First Councillor.тАЭ
Blackjack jerked his head up suddenly and stared at Tuf as if something unseen were flitting about that
long white face. He began to hiss; his thick silver-gray fur rose up slowly as he backed off. Tolly Mune
bent and picked him up. The cat trembled in her arms, and hissed again. тАЬWhat?тАЭ she said in a distracted
voice. тАЬWhat decision? YouтАЩve made all the damned decisions. What the hell are you talking about?тАЭ
тАЬPermit me to point out that, as of this moment, not a single manna spore has been released into the
atmosphere of SтАЩuthlam,тАЭ Haviland Tuf said.
She snorted. тАЬSo? YouтАЩve made your damned deal. I have no way of stopping you.тАЭ
тАЬIndeed. Regrettable. Perhaps one will occur to you, however. Meanwhile, I suggest that we repair to
my quarters. Dax is waiting for his evening meal. I have prepared an excellent cream-of-mushroom
bisque for our own repast, and there is chilled great-beer from Moghoun, a beverage sufficiently heady to
please either gods or monsters. And, of course, my communications equipment is at your disposal,
should you find you have something to say to your government.тАЭ
Tolly Mune opened her mouth for a cutting reply, then closed it again in astonishment. тАЬDo you mean