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

Council was so sure that he would die on Menx that it had risked SiolтАЩs wrath by refusing to let him use
the Menx Access.
тАЬHow do you know Cezine died in the Jaws?тАЭ demanded Rhane after his long silence.
тАЬLor Jastre told the Council while it was weighing your request.тАЭ
тАЬHe told the Council, but not me. Why not?тАЭ
тАЬWould it have made any difference in your petition?тАЭ
тАЬNo.тАЭ Rhane felt suddenly tired, besieged by circumstances he had never asked for and could not
evade. He pushed aside his feeling of resentment. He had enjoyed the privileges of being an en Jacaroen;
now he must take up the responsibilities. тАЬNo,тАЭ he repeated. тАЬI still must go. If I canтАЩt retrieve CezineтАЩs
death, the hundred-thousand-year en Jacaroen rule ends. Siol will have to adjust to the se Jacaroen or
even the gan Jacaroen, and neither clan is noted for stability. There would be war. Do you understand
now?тАЭ he asked softly, focusing on the alien woman who had told him of his death sentence. тАЬI must try.
A clan that canтАЩt match lives with deaths isnтАЩt fit to govern itself, much less a world.тАЭ
тАЬDoes power mean so much to you?тАЭ asked Meriel, her eyes indigo in the roomтАЩs bland white light.
тАЬNo. IтАЩll rule as my father didтАФsymbolically. Other en Jacaroens will hold practical power.тАЭ
тАЬBut youтАЩre taking a suicidal risk to ensure your own succession. All that, for a mere symbol?тАЭ
тАЬMy life against the continuity of SiolтАЩs history. A fair balance.тАЭ
тАЬTo a Siolan.тАЭ
Rhane shrugged. Other races died for their gods or their dreams or their greed or because one moon
eclipsed another. He did not expect to understand the imperatives of other cultures, nor did he expect his
own to be understood.
тАЬEverything is moral somewhere in the universe,тАЭ said Rhane, repeating the Concord creed of
tolerance, тАЬand nothing is immoral everywhere.тАЭ
MerielтАЩs lips shaped a thin smile. тАЬIn a few maturities that thought wonтАЩt comfort you.тАЭ Then, before
Rhane could respond, she said, тАЬYouтАЩre willing to risk death for SiolтАЩs unbroken history. Are you willing
to change your ideas of reality for Siol?тАЭ
тАЬOf course,тАЭ said Rhane impatiently.
тАЬOf course.тАЭ MerielтАЩs voice was both sad and gently mocking. тАЬDonтАЩt be so certain, young en
Jacaroen. Most people find death easier than change.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩll do whatever I must to stand on CezineтАЩs deathplace,тАЭ Rhane said. His voice was emotionless,
utterly certain.
MerielтАЩs eyes seemed to penetrate as deeply as her touch had. Rhane had a distinct feeling of being
measured on an unknown scale. Then MerielтАЩs eyes closed and she said a phrase Rhane did not
understand.
тАЬWhat?тАЭ asked Rhane.
тАЬNothing,тАЭ she sighed. тАЬA prayer, a curse, a benediction. Nothing at all.тАЭ Her eyes opened clear and
hard and very blue. тАЬPrepare yourself for change, Rhane en Jacaroen. We canтАЩt make a Carifil out of you
in the time we have,тАЭ she said grimly, тАЬbut we can guarantee that by the time weтАЩre finished, at least one
Siolan will believe in psi.тАЭ
RhaneтАЩs yellow eyes narrowed, concealing his reaction. тАЬHow will that benefit Siol?тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩll go to Menx as you hoped, but with one difference. IтАЩll touch your mind, see Menx as you
have seen it, learn what you have learned about Menx.тАЭ
тАЬAnd Cezine?тАЭ
тАЬYes.тАЭ
тАЬHow?тАЭ
тАЬWeтАЩll teach you how to use your mind. Then IтАЩll know if you are dying, and if you die ... if you die
IтАЩll be with you, in your mind. IтАЩll take your death moments to the en Jacaroen shrine, a sharing such as
Siol has never known in its hundred thousand years. Would that satisfy en Jacaroen necessity?тАЭ
тАЬMy death shared ...тАЭ murmured Rhane. тАЬWhat about you? WonтАЩt being in my mind when I die affect
you?тАЭ