"Ann Maxwell - The Jaws of Menx" - читать интересную книгу автора (Maxwell Ann)

тАЬMenx is irrational,тАЭ Rhane said, dismissing the words even as he spoke them, тАЬbut thatтАЩs to be
expected of a theocracy.тАЭ
тАЬIrrational. How?тАЭ
Rhane allowed impatience to creep into his voice. тАЬAs a whole, the lowland society is only a few
steps above survival. ThereтАЩs little margin of fat. Yet they ship nearly one quarter of their crops to the
highlandsтАФand get nothing in return! The caravans come back empty, not even the clinking metal that
passes for local credits to show for their journey.тАЭ
тАЬThe crops are a tithe to the living gods of Menx.тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs what the Contact teams decided.тАЭ
тАЬBut?тАЭ prodded the woman gently.
тАЬA tithe is like any other form of taxation or tribute. It must be a survival positive or the culture will
collapse. Yet the highlands give no service in return for the lowland tithe. ThereтАЩs no benefit to the
lowlands that equals their loss of food.тАЭ
тАЬNone that we know of,тАЭ said Meriel.
RhaneтАЩs shoulders moved in a Siolan gesture of impatience. тАЬAnything thatтАЩs worth nearly one
quarter of a societyтАЩs output is worth Concord attention.тАЭ
тАЬThe TтАЩaeln mentors disagree. They say the highland gods are legend and superstition, nothing more.тАЭ
тАЬSurely it wouldnтАЩt have been difficult to ascertain what actually happened to the lowland тАШtithe.тАЩтАЭ
тАЬOdd, isnтАЩt it,тАЭ murmured the woman, holding the glass up to the light, тАЬthe TтАЩaeln disregard of Menx
cultural dynamics.тАЭ
тАЬTтАЩael is noted for its xenophobia,тАЭ said Rhane shortly. тАЬOr perhaps they are simply contemptuous.
They have reason to be. Though Siol is justly proud of its hundred thousand years of en Jacaroen
civilization, thatтАЩs less than half of TтАЩaelтАЩs unbroken cultural history.тАЭ Abruptly, RhaneтАЩs voice changed.
As an en Jacaroen, he appreciated historical ironies. тАЬThe oldest, most arrogant race in the Concord,тАЭ he
said, тАЬjoined by circumstance to what is probably the youngest and most defensive raceтАФMenx. Not an
easy marriage. I wonder why TтАЩael didnтАЩt let some other planet guide Menx into Concord. It would have
been better for Menx, at least.тАЭ
The sound of MerielтАЩs finger moving over thin crystal shivered in the room, reminding Rhane that he
was not alone. He heard her soft laughter.
тАЬIтАЩm pleased,тАЭ he said coolly, тАЬthat I amuse you.тАЭ
тАЬNot you, young en Jacaroen. The TтАЩaeln race. They have ninety-seven words for insanityтАФand
seem to practice all of them.тАЭ
Rhane, remembering his brief stay on TтАЩael, could only agree. тАЬTheyтАЩre obsessed with insanity. Or is
it sanity that compels them?тАЭ He smiled slightly. тАЬDid you know that many of those ninety-seven words
describe physical appearance? They believe that sanity and phenotype are inseparable.тАЭ
Crystal hummed gently beneath MerielтАЩs long fingers, reminding Rhane of the Menx wiris his father
had pursued so relentlessly.
тАЬOver two hundred thousand years of unbroken civilization ... who is to say that the TтАЩaeln are wrong
in their beliefs?тАЭ asked Meriel without looking up from the crystal glass. тАЬTheyтАЩve made an exhaustive
study of their own genes.тАЭ
тАЬPerhaps sanity and phenotype are indeed inseparable,тАЭ said Rhane dryly, тАЬbut only on TтАЩael. Their
prejudices about physical appearance make life very uncomfortable for those of less than master TтАЩaeln
phenotype.тАЭ
тАЬLike the Menx?тАЭ
тАЬTтАЩaeln are impartialтАФthey believe everyone is inferior to them. The people of Menx arenтАЩt
especially despised.тАЭ
тАЬOr loved?тАЭ
Crystal sang again, softly. Rhane caught himself listening with too much intensity, as though the
vibrations of a ceremonial glass could tell him why Meriel was deftly leading him to talk about a time and
a people he wanted to forget.