"Robert Reed - Hatch" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reed Robert)

too. But those few thousand survivors could never be sure what had changed. With
the clarity of the doomed, they had come here and built a refugee camp. PeregrineтАЩs
mother was a natural leader. Like her son, she was a small person, dark as space,
blessed with long limbs and a gymnastтАЩs perfect balance. And she was more than
just an early raider. No, what made the woman special was that she was first to
realize that nobody was coming to rescue them. The giant engines remained dead
and blocked. High-grade hyperfiber had plugged even the most obscure route
through the armored hull. And even worse, the Great Ship was now undergoing
some mysterious but undeniable acceleration. Without one working rocket, the
world-sized machine was gaining velocity, hurrying its way along a course that would
soon take it out of the Milky Way.

PeregrineтАЩs mother helped invent the raiderтАЩs trade. In makeshift vehicles, she
dove into the PolypondтАЩs atmosphere, stealing volatiles and rare earths, plus the
occasional machine-encrusted body. Those treasures allowed them to build shelters
and synthesize food. Every few days, she bravely led an expedition into the
monsterтАЩs body, stealing what was useful and accepting every danger.

Time and Fate ensured her death.

She left no body, save for a few useful pieces that made up her meager estate.
Her funeral was held ages ago, yet even today, whenever an important anniversary
arrived, those rites and her name were repeated by thousands of thankful souls.

By contrast, PeregrineтАЩs father was neither heroic nor well regarded. But he
was a prosperous fellow, and he was shrewd, and when one of the great womanтАЩs
eggs came on the market, he spent a fortune to obtain it and a second fortune to
build the first artificial womb in the cityтАЩs history.

тАЬI remember your mother,тАЭ the old woman told Peregrine, plainly proud of
any casual association. Then with an important tone, she added, тАЬThat good woman
would have been pleased with her young son. IтАЩm sure.тАЭ

Peregrine was almost three hundred years old, which made him youngтАФ
particularly in the eyes of a much older lady who seemed to be happily feeding a
fantasy. He offered nods and a polite smile, saying, тАЬWell, thank you.тАЭ

тАЬAnd I know your father fairly well,тАЭ she continued.

тАЬI never see the man,тАЭ Peregrine replied with a sneer, warning her off the
topic.

тАЬI know,тАЭ she said.

Then after a pause, she asked, тАЬDid you mean it? Do you really feel that an
especially large hatch is coming?тАЭ

тАЬNo,тАЭ he replied, finally admitting the truth.

Then before his honesty evaporated, he added, тАЬThere are no trends, and I