"Andrew J. Offutt - Spaceways 17 - The Carnadyne Horde" - читать интересную книгу автора (Offutt Andrew J)

centers....) This is ours, humankind said, and renamed itself. It became the
Galactic race. It inhabited the brightness of planets and the great sun-strewn
twilight between the worlds it settled. One of those suns was Hubble and
another was Durga, and they were companions. One of their planets was settled,
and Galactics named it Terasaki. Through the eternal twilight of space shot a
graceful, powerful ship called Sunmother-a name not rooted in the history and
legends and superstitions of the Galactic race. Sunmother raced toward the
planet Terasaki. On that star-world, in an apt in the city of Yamato, a woman
alone traveled through her own universe of darkness and light. The most evil
of villains, she thought, believe in good, in the Good. No one can consider
herself alone and remain sane; no one can consider herself evil and survive
long, let alone function. She shifted her position from Siddhasana to
Veerasana. From the adept's pose to that of the warrior. A joint or three of
her spine popped. The woman called Kalahari Cuw paid that no heed. I've done a
lot of things that certainly were wrong. (She breathed with almost catatonic
slowness.) Hell. I very well knew they were wrong when I did them, too. I
reveled in that! I thought they were justified-or pretended to. And I've done
right things. Good things. (Some.) Does that make me evil or good? Or both? Or
neither? 39 It makes me good-evil and evil-good. Gray. It makes me human. The
very lean woman unwrapped her body and raised up on her forearms to bring her
legs over her head and into the Vrischikasan-the scorpion pose. Toes attempted
to touch head and nearly succeeded. I've done worse than some and better than
most. If any of my acts required punishment in the eyes of gods or Gal-actics,
I surely received enough on Jorinne and Knor.* And got off rich! A chime
sounded. Kalahari Cuw unwound her body and stared at the door. Peatmoss
Nebula-gray hair framed her eyes, subcutaned a deeper shade of gray. She wore
no clothes while meditating and didn't bother to reach for any. "Who!" she
demanded of the door. A Looker switched on, giving her a TP view of the
hallway outside the apt. Four figures snugly clad in red stood on the other
side of the door. "Oh shit." Kalahari stood slowly, her gaze never drifting
from the Looker. She was a lean woman. Small breasts and narrow hips
accentuated the sleek muscles of her legs and arms. She walked to the door,
though she could have addressed them as easily from the exercise mat. She
pressed her body against the door, leaning an ear against its cool
surface. "What?" she asked quietly. "Kalahari?" a man's voice said. "It's the
Satana Coalition." "I know." The Looker carried her voice to a speaker in the
hallway. Even so, it sounded restrained. "We need-" Trafalgar Cuw paused and
gazed up at the *Spaceways #8, #9 and #4: Under Twin Suns, In Quest ofQalara,
and Satana Enslaved 40 Looker TP. "I mean-we want you. Come and help us look
for Janja." The door opened. Kalahari Cuw-the former pirate Hell-fire-faced
her friends, unashamed (or unaware) that she was naked. "Sis!" Trafalgar Cuw
flashed her the familiar boyish smile. The Jarps Sweetface and Cinnabar stood
behind him. One wore a translahelm, the other didn't. Behind them stood a
subdued woman with skin the color of obsidian. Quin-darissa looked at her
former captain and smiled warmly, quietly. All of them wore red jumpsuits
sashed in black at the waist. All were form-fitting. "You don't need my help.
As for what you want..." Kalahari spoke with detached calm. "I'm afraid I
won't be much help or even very good company. I'm--learning- these days. It
takes up all my time. There's so much that I don't know..." "Hellf-" Quindy
reached out an arm like soft onyx toward her friend and lover. "We haven't