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

in her eyes, she adds: тАЬBut I can do it later.тАЭ

The crew have come to some decision, andтАФas I look over SheraтАЩs
shoulderтАФit seems they want to talk to her. I nod in their direction.

тАЬShera?тАЭ says the shaven-headed crewman. тАЬWeтАЩre headed for Whirlpool
Dell. Need to pick up a load.тАЭ

тАЬYou offering me a ride, Linkan?тАЭ

тАЬYeah. And your friend, if he wants to come.тАЭ

тАЬHis name is Andrei.тАЭ ThereтАЩs mischief in her eyes when she looks at me.
тАЬWant to see a floating forest?тАЭ

Among Quinv├иreтАЩs Floating Forests. ThatтАЩs a title with promise.

тАЬIтАЩd love to.тАЭ

тАЬGood.тАЭ

***

Cold peach, the skies glimmer, as the clouds part for a time. The rainfall
lessens, grows insubstantial: a silvery mist which looks about to die away.

тАЬIt wonтАЩt.тАЭ Shera, on the deck beside me, appears to read my mind. тАЬDry
spells are localized. In any one spot, they occur about once every ten millennia.тАЭ
 тАЬThe suns must have an effect.тАЭ

Already the clouds are beginning to close in again.

тАЬOh, yes. I like them.тАЭ She looks up, staring directly at the orbs. Translucent
polygons drift across the surface of her eyes. тАЬReminders that lifeтАЩs a mystery.тАЭ

Her eye-protection is corneal smartgelтАФto the same specification as my own,
IтАЩd say.

Interesting.

тАЬWhat do you know of the Ancient Ones?тАЭ I ask.

тАЬNo more than offworlders.тАЭ

The rain is growing heavier now. I pull up my cloakтАЩs hood, more interested in
watching Shera than the twin arcs of sunlets across the sky. Behind her, around us,
the crew are busy with small tasks. The boat rides the waves easily, though the sea is
growing choppy.

тАЬWhy did they do it? Or when?тАЭ I mean the Ancient Ones. тАЬAfter the original