"Steve Perry - Aliens 03 - The Female War" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Steven)

"There is power in my hands. The Goddess has shown me the way."

He began to pace back and forth as he spoke. "The Goddess brings no fear. The Goddess has no
fear. We are Her children, She our mother. We are not worthy of Her; it is the failing of humanity."

More mumbles of assent.

Dane continued, his voice rising. "When the cleansing began, I was afraid. I cried in self-pity and
fearтАФafraid for my own life and the lives of the weak and unworthy all around me." He paused, for
dramatic effect. "I was no more than a pile of shit," he said.

"Yes!" A hoarse cry from the unseen audience.

"Useless and impotent fear," he continued, "left me empty. Incapable of action. I wallowed in it; I
was crippled by it!" He stopped moving, faced the listeners.
 "And She spoke to me. She asked for my help. The Goddess, the creator of so much power,
asking a cripple to aid Her. Like She asks of all Her Chosen. And I became strong for Her, I learned of
Her love, I found that death is shit! It is fear! It is nothing!"

Billie sat transfixed, watching the screen; she found herself unable to move, to hit the command
button. Another of the dreamers, and completely insane.

Dane motioned to one side and a heavyset woman in ill-fitting soldier's gear dragged a young man
onto the stage. His hands were tied behind him and his slow, stumbling movements suggested heavy
sedation. The soldier pushed him to the floor next to Dane and stepped back into the shadows. The boy
looked barely out of his teens, was thin and dressed in rags and dirt. He lay on his side, eyes closed.

Dane pointed at the prisoner but kept his gaze on the listeners. "This," he said with disgust, "is
humanity. Weak. Afraid. He is not fit to be the giver of Divine life, not when so many of the willing stand
strong and proud in front of me." Dane made a sweeping gesture toward the crowd, and put his hand on
his hip.

Put his hand on the hilt of the knife.

He pulled it out slowly and held it up. "The old humanity has outlived its usefulness," he said.

He knelt beside the boy. The youth gave no sign of having heard the speech and did not struggle as
Dane pushed the blade without apparent effort deep into the bound boy's throat.

Blood erupted out across the platform.

The boy opened his eyes and his mouth, as if to speak. A horrible, wet gurgle was all that came
out, a look of confused pain on his pale face. He rolled onto his back, his eyes fluttering. More blood
spewed from the wound to mat his dark hair and white skin. His thin body shuddered in one final spasm.
His eyes remained open.

Dane ran the back of the knife across his forehead, smearing red across his brow. Swiftly he ran
the point of the blade from the groin to the sternum of the dead youth, cutting deeply. He turned to face
his listeners, a wild grin on his face.