"John Meaney - Blood and Verse" - читать интересную книгу автора (Meaney John)

But it is their catch which draws me.

New lifeтАФ

The entire net is wriggling, with an amazing variety of lifeforms trapped inside.
Are they all Terra-muties, cloned and tailored? Or are there indigenous native species
among them? Scarlet triple-winged fish; black/white/silver wriggling dart-shapes;
tendrils whichтАФ

тАЬLook out!тАЭ

I whip my hand back, but the flailing sting-mouth just catches me.

Acid burn...

тАЬBloody fool!тАЭ Shera sounds furious. тАЬNever stand close to a snapper. Not
without protection.тАЭ

The shaven-headed fisherman leaps onto the jetty, grabs hold of my wrist, and
turns my hand over. Scales and blood glisten across my palm.

тАЬNo toxin.тАЭ He looks up at me. тАЬOr your skin wouldтАЩve blistered already,
pal.тАЭ

тАЬThatтАЩs good then.тАЭ

тАЬYeah. IтАЩve never seen anyoneтАЭтАФhe spits into the ocean, grinsтАФтАЭmove so
fast. Most folk wouldтАЩve lost their hand.тАЭ

While he speaks, two other crew-members reach into the net with long
stun-lances, and I gather the danger has passed.

тАЬHow hurt is he?тАЭ Shera addresses the fisherman, not me.

тАЬJust a little blood, is all.тАЭ

тАЬGood.тАЭ She stares at me. тАЬYou were lucky.тАЭ
 тАЬYes. Your name is Shera? I am lucky, Shera.тАЭ

тАЬHmm.тАЭ A faint smile touches her mouth. тАЬYou still need to clean that wound,
Master Lucky.тАЭ

тАЬMomento...тАЭ

I walk back a ways, beyond the boatтАЩs stern, and reach out above the waves
to squeeze my offeringтАФseven drops: no more, no lessтАФinto the ocean which
reminds me of the endless Tao.

тАЬIn blood, as Life