"G. David Nordley - The Forest Between the Worlds" - читать интересную книгу автора (Nordley G. David)

"Vicious," Akil said.

"ThatтАЩs why you donтАЩt often see butterballs this deep in the forest."

"Are the nets dangerous?"

"One of them started to wrap me up once, but spit me out before completing the job. I got an interesting
pattern of acid burns out of it, but they healed in a couple of days."

"Sounds like fun."

She shook her head. "Cured me of going bare-assed out here. I wrote the page on the nets; how much
study did you get in before they sent you down here?"

"Level three on fauna. . . ."

"That was flora, Akil."

"Oh." Unfortunately, Akil had never been that interested in plants.

"Just try not to touch anything but rocks, trees, and blackleaf vines, and youтАЩll be okay. DonтАЩt rest on the
large elephant-ear leaf vines. They grow around thingsтАУquickly, by plant standards."

Using paths filled in by forest debris, they made good time through the ah-ah field. The shade gave little
relief from the heat; this deep in the distended Hazian atmosphere, heat was borne by air more than light.
Akil brushed by something that looked like a loose ball of spaghetti with long thorns that made a sound
like ripping paper as they scratched across his coveralls. He felt a sharp sting as one of them penetrated
the weave.

"Porcupine Plant," Marianne said as she saw him pull it out. "The quills can be a nuisance."

He nodded, ruefully.

As they ascended, the lava field changed from the blocky ah-ah into a more smooth, ropy pahoehoe, but
on a scale ten times what Akil had seen on Earth. The largest lava tubes under them would be immense,
and he savored the thought of exploring them.

What appeared to be a clearing opened beyond the trees to their right, looking at first like a slightly
raised meadow. Akil suspected otherwise, and confirmed his suspicions through his com patch.
"Marianne, can we hold up a bit?"

"Uh, sure. Whew." She looked like she could use a break. "WeтАЩre almost there, anyway."

"Ever been over there?" He nodded toward the clearing.

"No. A crater?"

"The main east vent. We think itтАЩs going to be active again in a few days. Want to take a look?"

Marianne took a breath. "Eclipse is coming up. I want to be on the tree by then."