"Emil Petaja - Tramontane" - читать интересную книгу автора (Petaja Emil)

existence. In a millieu where man fought against androids and cybernetics
to give his own children a chance to get born, an excrescence like him was
scarcely tolerable. Like so many other colonies with atmosphere that was
breathable but not for sustained periods, certainly not over generations,
Ryler 8 wore a plas-dome over its only city to shield its new citizens from
the pitiless glare of those seven great eyes, to reduce the heat and keep
them and their frugal necessaries from shriveling away until the next time
the Mothership returned for a look-see. Away she went to offer teat to one
of her other offspring, always hoping that each new colony would stick and
later provide room to slough off more of her endless supply of children.

тАЬYou are an ugly bastard, Kullervo.тАЭ The heat exploded one of his
executioners into breaking the torpid silence. Kullervo acknowledged the
gratuitous shove that went with the insult by swabbing sweat out of his
eyes so that he could move along faster.

Two sniggered approval. Three, as a gesture of hostility encompassing
the whole of his new hellish home and the distasteful job at hand, decided
to find fault with one.
 тАЬKnock it off, Pot,тАЭ he grumbled. тАЬThe suckerтАЩs going to get blasted and
chucked down that volcanic fissure when we get to it. IsnтАЩt that enough for
you?тАЭ

тАЬNo!тАЭ PotтАЩs voice was a raw crackle from his parched craw. тАЬIt ainтАЩt
enough! Not nearly enough, Al! Crud played around with my little sister!тАЭ

тАЬBat-dung! I saw the whole thing. Those vicious sluts at the kangaroo
court only twisted what happened to look like that. Your little sister was
needling the creep, like that bunch of brats do every morning, waiting on
the corner for him to come out of his hole so they could shag rocks at him.
Your sister ran up and spit in his face. Kullervo grabbed hold of her
armтАФтАЭ

тАЬHe touched her, damn him!тАЭ

тАЬSo?тАЭ

Something in the tone riled Pot into a snarl. He swung out a mean
hook; Al ducked easily. тАЬHell, I didnтАЩt mean anything, Pot. Your sisterтАЩs
only twelve. What I meant was he only just touched her arm, krissake. So
what? Those damn kids do that every morning. Shag rocks at Kullervo
when he comes out of that hole he sleeps in since they kicked him out of
the dorm. Call him names. Krissake. What would you do?тАЭ

Pot wiped off sweat. тАЬKids got nothing else to do. You canтАЩt blame тАШem.
Teach-meckтАЩs on the blink and no damn place to play. Got to have some
fun.тАЭ He stared blamefully at KullervoтАЩs broad bowed back, then, on
impulse, grabbed him and spun him around. тАЬLook! Take a good look, Al!
Look at that puss! WouldnтАЩt you say it was made to get spit in?тАЭ