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

Twin diamond-studded crown

тАШGainst boundless velvet round,

Where silent night holds promise of

Soft targetтАЩs mewling sound...

Too soon. The verse will come in its own time.

And thereтАЩs another image, overlaying my picture of Quinv├иre from far orbit.
Clear-complexioned, her face, with her hair cut very short. Eyes: dark, intense. Her
shoulders look strong; she moves like an athlete. And that wordless look which
passes between us ... before she steps from the dock into the skimmer, takes
control, is gone.

I donтАЩt even know your name.

But weтАЩll meet again.

IтАЩm sure of it.

***

ItтАЩs another world!

IтАЩm sitting in half-lotus, on a soft blue mattress upon a lustrous wooden
bedтАФno lev-cots or gel-pallets here. The bed is carved (or force-grown) from the
same golden timber as the room itself. Offworld! Far from home, carrying out my
first commissioned work, in a place where everything is subtly differentтАФthe gravity,
the pure airтАЩs tangтАФand minute details rush upon me, crowd my senses.
 I could send myself to sleep, but why bother? Perhaps I can explore a little.

So I snap my fingers at my drone, point downwards in the Stay Here gesture.
Rolling to my feet, I check the blades secreted in my tunic, grab a cloak, wave the
external doorshimmer from existence, and step outside.

***

The sea at night enthrals. Amid the black waves, unexpected ripples of
phosphorescence shine as a magical reminder that worlds are filled with life. The soft
susurration of night-rain and rolling sea are hypnotic; I could stand here forever. But
Quinv├иreтАЩs nights are transient black-cloud polarised-light phenomenaтАФthatтАЩs what
happens when you have two rings, each of twenty seven miniature suns: you take
nights when you can get themтАФand already the sky is brightening, touching the
waves with mint-green highlights.

As the faux-night ends, I regard the veranda-like boardwalk on which IтАЩm
standing. It runs beneath the carapace-eaves, encircles the hotel. Waves lap at the