"Niven, Larry - Integral Trees - Known Space - 3 - Smoke Ring, The" - читать интересную книгу автора (Niven Larry)

LAWRI AND JEPFER SWAM BENEATH MURKY PONDWATER, trailing forty square meters of fabric stretched across the net more commonly used to sieve harebrains from the sky. They gripped its corners in strong toes and swam with their arms.

The sheet Tesisted. The leading edge tried to crumple. Tethers at the comers of the harebrain net got in their way. We could have had some help, Jeffer thought. Lawri wouldn't have it. Lawri's idea. Lawn's project! She'd be doing this by herself if she possibly could.

Air! He slapped her thigh. She dropped the sheet and they swam toward the light.

Air is the sweetest taste, though one must risk drowning to appreciate it.

They were at the arc of the pond nearest Citizens Tree. The center of the trunk was a mere three klomters east. Seventy klomters of trunk ran out and in from the pond, ending in paired curved tufts. The in tuft, home, looked greenish black, with Voy's blue pinpoint shining almost behind it. A single line ran from the trunk, and divided.

The sheet was a ghostly shadow deep within the pond. Lines ran from the comers, up through the water and out, to join the main cable that ran to the trunk.

"Almost in place," Lawri said doubtfully.

"Close enough."

"All right. You go get the CARM ready. I'll draft some hands to pull it in."

Jeffer nodded. His legs scissored and shot him into the air. He drifted toward the main cable in a spray of droplets.

It was easier than arguing. Lawri would not leave Jeffer to organize the final stage. When Lawri the Scientist got an idea, nobody else got credit. Particularly not Citizens Tree's other Scientist, her husband.

Partway around the curve of the pond, Minya and Gavving floated in the interface between air and water, surrounded by thrashing children.

Lines ran from each child toward the cable from Citizens Tree. The children were taught the backstroke first. It kept their faces in the air. Some preferred the frog-kick that let them look beneath the water. Swimming was a balance of surface tension versus the thrust of arms and legs.

If a child kicked himself entirely out of the water, an adult must go after him. A child who went beneath the surface could panic and must be pulled out before he drowned. There were carnivores among the waterbirds. Minya and Gavving wore harpoons. They had three of their own among the swimmers.

Gavving used lazy strokes to change his attitude, moving his field of view in a clockwise circle.

"Look at Rather," Minya said.

The oldest of the children were swimming together. Daughter of two jungle giants, golden-blond Jill had grown to merely normal height in the tide of Citizens Tree. She was thirty ce' meters shorter than her parents ... but the contrast between Jill and Rather was startling. At fourteen, Minya's dark-haired firstborn son was less than two meters in height. Jill had more than half a meter on him.

Yet Minya never spoke of Rather's height. Gavving looked again and said, "Right. Rather!"

Rather paddled over, reluctantly. Fine green fur, barely visible, grew a mi'meter long on his left cheek. Gavving gripped the boy's arm and lifted him partway out of the water, against surface tension. The green could be traced down Rather's neck, over his shoulder, and partway across his chest.

"Fluff," Gavving said. "Why didn't you tell someone?"

Rather grinned guiltily. "I've never swum before."

Minya snapped, "You go straight-"

"No. Finish your swim. You'll pay for it. You've seen your last of the sun for a while. Have we raised a fool? It's almost reached your eye!"

Rather nodded solemnly and paddled away. Minya watched him go, her mouth pursed in anger. Her husband wriggled and was silently underwater; kicked, and was beneath her; grasped an ankle and dove. Minya doubled back on herself and kicked him across the jaw. Gavving reached through the defense of her waving arms and legs and had her head between his hands; pulled her to him by main strength and kissed her hard. She laughed bubbles.

He kicked toward the surface with Minya in tow. They blew water from their faces before they inhaled, and were back on duty before any child could get into trouble.