"John Norman - Gor 22 - Dancer of Gor " - читать интересную книгу автора (Norman John)

immobile. It was almost as though I was held in place, standing
there, before him, by a fixed collar, mounted on a horizontal rod,
extending from a wall.
тАЮAre you one of the modern women who are intent upon
destroying me?тАЬ he asked.
I regarded him, startled.
тАЮAre you guilty of such crimes?тАЬ he asked.
тАЮI do not know what you are talking about,тАЬ I said, frightened.


18
 He smiled. тАЮAre you familiar with the book on the bottom shelf?тАЬ
he asked.
тАЮNot really,тАЬ I said. It was a standard reference source, but in a
limited area. I had never used it.
тАЮThere are several such books,тАЬ he said, тАЮbut it is surely one of
the finest.тАЬ
тАЮI am sure it is a valuable, excellent reference work,тАЬ I said.
тАЮit tells of a world, very different from that in which you live,тАЬ he
said, тАЮa world very much simpler, and more basic, a world more
fundamental, and less hypocritical, and far fresher and cleaner, in its
way, and more alive and wild than yours.тАЬ
тАЮThan mine?тАЬ I said. His voice, now that he spoke at length,
seemed to have some trace of an accent. But I could not begin to
place it.
тАЮIt is a world in which men and women stood closer to the fires
of life,тАЬ he said. тАЮIt was a world of tides and gods, of spears and
Caesars, of games, and wreathes of laurel, of the clash, detectable
for miles, of phalanxes, of the marchings of legions, in measured
stride, of the long roads and the fortified camps, of the coming and
going of the oared ships, of the pourings of offerings, wine and salt,
and oil, into the sea.тАЬ
I said nothing.
тАЮAnd in such a world women such as you were bought and sold
as slaves,тАЬ he said.
тАЮThat world is gone,тАЬ I said.
тАЮThere is another, not unlike it, which exists,тАЬ he said.
тАЮThat is absurd,тАЬ I said.
тАЮI have seen it,тАЬ he said.
тАЮThe book is here,тАЬ I said, тАЮon the bottom shelf.тАЬ I was
trembling. I was terribly, frightened.
тАЮGet it,тАЬ he said.
I lowered myself to my knees. I drew out the book. I looked up at
him. I was on my knees before him.
тАЮOpen it,тАЬ he said.
I did so. Within it was a sheet of folded paper.
I opened the sheet of folded paper. On it was writing.
тАЮRead it,тАЬ he said.
тАЮI am a slave,тАЬ I read. Then I looked up. He had left. I leaned
over, on my knees, bending far over, clutching the paper. I was