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

But I canтАЩt resist one last sweeping glance at the endless sea and rain.

Will I grow used to this?

For the rainfall has lasted ten thousand years. I donтАЩt expect it will stop
anytime soon.

***

Inside, a wizened old man, hunched behind a black quickglass desk, nods in
welcome. Orange highlights glint upon the obsidian teardrop implanted in his
forehead: jewellery, or something more? A velvet skullcap sits on his bald scalp.

тАЬMay I take your details?тАЭ His voice is surprisingly sonorous, couched in the
local twenty-tone Lingshua dialect. тАЬIf I may, sir...тАЭ

I hold up my hand, wondering why my tu-ring hasnтАЩt done its job. With a tsk
sound which might mean anything, the old man shakes head.

тАЬOur omninterface isnтАЩt translating. Please respond verbally.тАЭ

I look around, but thereтАЩs nothing special to be seen: just ornate woodwork
and ceramic. Orange glowglobes. A small black floating mesodrone which appears
to be engaged in earnest machine communication with my own. No other visible
devices.

тАЬGo ahead.тАЭ My voice sounds strange, though IтАЩve been practising Lingshua
for nearly a Standard Year, subjective. тАЬWhat do you need to know?тАЭ

тАЬYour name?тАЭ

I pause, considering a lie, then: тАЬAndrei vтАЩDanshin KaDonnel.тАЭ

тАЬAge?тАЭ

Why the Hades should he need to know that? But IтАЩll obey the local mores
where I can.

тАЬTwenty SY.тАЭ

I wonder if IтАЩm the only person here who knows that Standard Years are
based on ancient TerraтАЩs rotation period. From what I know of the local education
systemтАФ

тАЬтАФand designation?тАЭ Another question.

тАЬIтАЩm sorry?тАЭ

тАЬYour world of origin, young sir, and societal designation.тАЭ