"Andre Norton - Jern Murdock 02 - Uncharted Stars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

help was anotherquestion, but one I was eager to prove. My dependence upon the
mutant, whotended to dominate our relationship, irked me at times.There is a
saying: If you close doors on all errors, truth also remainsoutside. Thus I
began my struggle with errors aplenty, hoping that a smallfraction of the
truth would come to my aid. I had not, since I had knownEet, been lax in
trying to develop any esper talents I might have. Primarilybecause, I was
sure, it was not in my breed to admit that a creature wholooked so much an
animal could out-think, out-act a man--though in thegalaxy the term "man"
is, of course, relative, having to do with a certainlevel of intelligence
rather than a humanoid form. In the beginning, thisfact was also difficult
for my breed, with their many inborn prejudices, torealize. We learned the
hard way until the lesson stuck.I closed the channels of my mind as best I
could, tamping down a mental lidon my worries about our lack of a pilot, a
shrinking number of credits, andthe fact that I might right now be the quarry
in a hunt I could sense butnot see or hear. The scar--that must be the
most important, the only thingin my mind. I concentrated on my reflection in
the mirror, on what I wantedto see there. Perhaps Eet was right, as he
most always was--we of Terranstock do not use the full powers which might be
ours. Since I had been Eet'scharge, as it were, I must have stretched,
pulled, without even being awareof that fact, in a manner totally unknown
to my species heretofore. Nowsomething happened which startled me. It was as
if, in that part of me whichfought to achieve Eet's ability, a ghostly
finger set tip to a lever andpressed it firmly. I could almost feel the
answering vibration through mybody--and following on that, a flood of
certainty that this I could do, aheady confidence which yet another part of
me observed in alarm and fear.But the face in the mirror-- Yes! I had that
disfiguring seam, not raw andnew, which would have been a give-away to the
observant, but puckered anddark, as though it had not been tended quickly
enough by plasta restoration,or else such a repair job had been badly
botched--as might be true for acrewman down on his luck, or some survivor of
a planetary war raid.So real! Tentatively I raised my hand, not quite daring
to touch that rough,ridged skin. Eet's illusion had been--was--tactile as
well as visual. Wouldmine hold as well? I touched. No, I was not Eet's equal
as yet, if I couldever be. My fingers traced no scar, as they seemed to do
when I looked intothe mirror. But visually the scar was there and that was the
best protectionI could have."A beginning, a promising beginning--"My head
jerked as I was startled out of absorption. Eet was sitting up onthe bed,
his unblinking pookha eyes watching me in return. Then I feared thebreak in
my concentration and looked back to the mirror. But contrary to myfears, the
scar was still there. Not only that, but I had chosen rightly--itdrew
attention, the face behind it blotted out by that line of seamed anddarkened
skin--as good as a mask."How long will it last?" If I ventured out of this
room, went delving intothe Off-port as I must, I would not be able to find
another hole in a hurryinto which I could settle safely for the period of
intense concentration Iwould need to renew my disfigurement.Eet's round
head tilted a little to one side, giving the appearance ofcritical
observation of my thought work."It is not a large illusion. You were wise to
start small," he commented."With my aid, I think it will hold for tonight.
Which is all we need. ThoughI shall have to change myself--""You? Why?""Need
you parade your incomprehension of danger?" The whisker mane hadalready