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

the wanton liberties taken with my opinions and philosophies to be a far more serious matter. In
particular, I object to my final speech, wherein I opine that the genius of evolving humanity can and will
solve all problems, and that eco-engineering has freed the SтАЩuthlamese to multiply without fear or limit,
and thus evolve to greatness and ultimate godhood. This is in utter contradiction to the actual views I
expressed to you at the time, Portmaster Mune. If you will recall our conversations, I told you distinctly
that any solution to your food problem, whether technological or ecological in nature, must of necessity
be only a stopgap if your people continued to practice unrestrained reproduction.тАЭ
тАЬYou were the hero,тАЭ Tolly Mune said. тАЬThey couldnтАЩt very well have you sound anti-life, could they?тАЭ
тАЬOther flaws are also present in the narrative. Those unfortunate enough to view this fiction have received
a wildly distorted view of the events of five years ago. Havoc is a harmless though spirited feline whose
ancestors have been domesticated since the veritable dawn of human history, and it is my recollection
that when you treacherously seized her on a legal technicality in a backhanded scheme to force me to
hand over the Ark, she and I both tendered our surrender peacefully. At no point did she rip even a
single security man apart with her claws, let alone six of them.тАЭ
тАЬShe did claw the back of my hand once,тАЭ said Tolly Mune. тАЬAnything else?тАЭ
тАЬI have nothing but approbation for the policies and conduct of Josen Rael and the High Council of
SтАЩuthlam,тАЭ Tuf said. тАЬIt is true that they, and particularly First Councillor Rael, behaved in an unethical
and unscrupulous manner. Nonetheless, on their behalf, it must be said that at no point did Josen Rael
subject me to torture, nor did he kill any of my cats in an effort to bend me to his will.тАЭ
тАЬHe didnтАЩt sweat that much either,тАЭ said Tolly Mune, тАЬand he never drooled. He was actually a decent
man.тАЭ She sighed. тАЬPoor Josen.тАЭ
тАЬFinally we come to the crux of the matter. Crux indeedтАФa strange word when one rolls it upon the
tongue, but quite appropriate to this discussion. The crux, Portmaster Mune, was and is the nature of our
wager. When I brought the newly salvaged Ark in for refitting, your High Council resolved to have her. I
refused to sell, and as you had no legal pretext for seizing the ship, you confiscated Havoc as vermin, and
threatened to destroy her unless I thumbed a transfer. Is this correct in its essentials?тАЭ
тАЬSounds right to me,тАЭ Tolly Mune said amiably.
тАЬWe resolved the impasse with a wager. I would attempt to forestall SтАЩuthlamтАЩs food crisis via
eco-engineering, thus averting the great famine that threatened you. If I failed, the Ark was yours. If I
succeeded, you were to return Havoc and, moreover, perform the refitting and repairs that I required and
allow me ten standard years to pay the resulting bill.тАЭ
тАЬRight,тАЭ she said.
тАЬTo my best recollection, at no point was carnal knowledge of your body included in my terms,
Portmaster Mune. I would be the last to diminish the bravura you displayed in adversity, when the High
Council shut down the tubes and secured all the docks. You risked your person and career, smashed
through a plasteel window, flew across kilometers of stark vacuum clad only in skinthins and propelled
by airjets, dodged security squads all the way, and in the end barely avoided destruction by your own
Planetary Defense Flotilla as they moved against me. Even one as plain and blunt as myself must admit
that these acts possess a certain heroic, even romantic, quality that in ancient days might be the stuff of
legends. However, the purpose of this melodramatic albeit daring voyage was to return Havoc to my
custody, as per the terms of our agreement, and not to deliver up your body to my,тАЭ he blinked, тАЬlusts.
Furthermore, you made it perfectly clear at that time that your actions were motivated by a sense of
honor and fear of the corrupting influence the Ark might have upon your leaders. As I recall, neither
physical passion nor romantic love played any part in your calculations. тАЬ
Portmaster Tolly Mune grinned. тАЬLook at us, Tuf. A damned unlikely pair of star-crossed lovers. But
youтАЩve got to admit, it makes a better story.тАЭ
TufтАЩs long face was still and expressionless. тАЬSurely you do not defend this grossly inaccurate vidshow,тАЭ
he said flatly.
The Portmaster laughed again. тАЬDefend it? Puling hell, I wrote it!тАЭ
Haviland Tuf blinked six times.