"Ardath Mayhar - Khi to Freedom" - читать интересную книгу автора (Mayhar Ardath)

own folly and to save our known cosmos from that terrible thing that the
Hril see and fear. It will not be an easy thing, for he has been taught to
scorn non-material matters. As with a child, he must learn step by step,
lesson by lesson. But he is more than able.



VIII.

Hale Enbo
I woke the next morning to a soft buzzing inside my head. I assumed
that the Varlian were experiencing the same effect, for they rose with me,
their expressions as abstracted as I felt mine to be. We were shown to a
small room that held ewers of steaming water and basins into which to
pour it, as well as more earthy facilities. Everything was well-designed,
even beautiful, but I had the feeling that all such matters were solely for
the benefit of infrequent guests who possessed solid bodies. The Khi, more
and more, seemed as if they must exist on a plane at at least one remove
from that which I inhabited.
We were served a light but tasty meal. Then we were asked to
accompany Khi-Lohm and Khi-Rehm and Khi-Sang back up the tunnel to
the surface of the valley. We had talked long into the night, and the Khi
had left us to sleep late, so we emerged into a flood of brilliant sunlight
that warmed the basin to almost Big Sandy temperatures. The grass,
which I had judged would be orange, ranged in shades from palest tan to
deep red-orange, making a fantastic carpet of the meadow. The trees, with
impeccable taste, lacked the varied coloration of those in the forest. They
were chastely clad in clouds of creamy leaves that made a nice contrast
with the bright leafage below them. If Khi-Ash had a fault in
color-scheme, it was in the lack of cool colors to balance the clamor of reds
and ochres and golds. I would have given much to spy a blue flower or a
green bush.
Khi-Lohm, beside me, turned his/her head toward me, and I was almost
able to distinguish features behind the golden shimmer of light that the
being emitted. The purr of approval I had felt when I stopped to admire
the coloration of a tree, days before, vibrated in my head.
тАЬYou are correct,тАЭ said a voice inside my mind. тАЬWe allowed Khi-Ash to
develop without our attention for too long. It went its own wayward path,
and when we matured enough to appreciate nuances of shading and
contrast, it was too late to correct things here. For that reason, among
others, we allowed the Ffryll to plant the Varlian among usтАФthough
neither race suspected our existence then. Their cheerful green enlivens
our forests, and we find enjoyment in their pursuits.тАЭ
The golden glance turned from me, up the track toward the east.
тАЬWatch!тАЭ came the whisper in my mind. тАЬThe Ginli come!тАЭ
At the edge of the wood, small with distance, I saw a gray-clad group
moving along the trail. Without looking about at the scene about and
before them, they tramped along with the bone-jarring stride they are so
proud of inventing. From the grass beside the tracks swirls of
bright-winged insects fluttered and crackled and flicked away. Amid that