"George R. R. Martin -- Second Helpings" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin George R R)

тАЬI deny this charge, madam. Whatever my personal standards might be, I do not seek to impose them
upon SтАЩuthlam. I merely took it upon myself to elucidate certain truths, and to make your population
aware of certain cold, hard equations, the sum of which is assuredly disaster, and cannot be changed by
beliefs, prayers, or melodramatic romances on your vidnets.тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩre being paidтАФтАЭ Tolly Mune started.
тАЬInsufficiently,тАЭ Tuf interrupted.
She smiled despite herself. тАЬYouтАЩre being paid for ecological engineering, Tuf, not for religious or political
instruction, thank you.тАЭ
тАЬYou are most welcome, Portmaster Mune.тАЭ He made a steeple of his hands. тАЬEcology,тАЭ he said.
тАЬConsider the word, if you will. Meditate upon its meaning. An ecosystem might be likened to a great
biological machine, perhaps. If this analogy is pursued, humanity must be seen as part of the machine. No
doubt an important partтАФan engine, a key circuitтАФbut in no case apart from the mechanism, as is often
fallaciously assumed. Ergo, when one such as myself re-engineers an ecology, he must by necessity refit
as well the humans who inhabit it.тАЭ
тАЬNow youтАЩre giving me a chill, Tuf. YouтАЩve been alone in this ship for too long.тАЭ
тАЬThis is an opinion I do not share,тАЭ said Tuf.
тАЬPeople arenтАЩt old pulse-rings, or blast-tubes to be recalibrated, you know.тАЭ
тАЬPeople are more complex and recalcitrant than any simple mechanical, electronic, or biochemical
component,тАЭ Tuf agreed.
тАЬThatтАЩs not what I meant.тАЭ
тАЬThe SтАЩuthlamese are especially difficult,тАЭ Tuf said.
Tolly Mune shook her head. тАЬRemember what I said, Tuf. Power corrupts.тАЭ
тАЬIndeed,тАЭ he said. In this context, she hadnтАЩt a clue as to what it meant.
Haviland Tuf rose from his seat. тАЬMy stay here shortly will be at an end,тАЭ he said. тАЬAt this very instant,
the ArkтАЩs chronowarp is accelerating the growth of the organisms in my cloning tanks. The Basilisk and
Manticore are being prepared to effect delivery, on the assumption that Cregor Blaxon or his successor
will ultimately decide to accept my recommendations. I would estimate that within ten days SтАЩuthlam will
have its meatbeasts, jersee-pods, ororos, etcetera. At that point I shall take my leave, Portmaster
Mune.тАЭ
тАЬAbandoned by my star-bound lover once again,тАЭ Tolly Mune said crossly. тАЬMaybe I can make
something out of that.тАЭ
Tuf looked at Dax. тАЬLevity,тАЭ he said, тАЬflavored with bitterness.тАЭ He looked up again, and blinked. тАЬI
believe I have rendered great service to SтАЩuthlam,тАЭ he said. тАЬI regret any personal distress that my
methods have caused you. Such was not my intent. Permit me to make some small redress.тАЭ
She cocked her head and looked at him hard. тАЬHow are you going to do that, Tuf?тАЭ
тАЬA trifling gift,тАЭ said Tuf. тАЬAboard the Ark, I could not help but notice the affection with which you
treated the kittens. Nor did it go entirely unreciprocated. I would like to give you two of my cats, as a
token of my esteem.тАЭ
Tolly Mune snorted. тАЬHoping that stark terror will keep the security men away when they come to arrest
me? No, Tuf. I appreciate the offer and IтАЩm tempted, really, but vermin are illegal in the web, remember?
I couldnтАЩt keep them.тАЭ
тАЬAs Portmaster of SтАЩuthlam, you have the authority to change the applicable regulations.тАЭ
тАЬOh, right, and wouldnтАЩt that look great? Anti-life and corrupt, too. IтАЩd be real puling popular.тАЭ
тАЬSarcasm,тАЭ Tuf informed Dax.
тАЬAnd what happens when they replace me as Portmaster?тАЭ she said.
тАЬI have every faith in your ability to survive this political tempest, even as you weathered the last,тАЭ said
Tuf.
Tolly Mune laughed raucously. тАЬGood for you, but no, really, it just wonтАЩt work.тАЭ
Haviland Tuf was silent, his face blank of all expression. Finally he raised a finger. тАЬI have devised a
solution,тАЭ he said. тАЬIn addition to two of my kittens, I will give you a starship. As you know, I have a