"Robert Reed - Sister Alice" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reed Robert)

and requested a slender biography of their great sister. Then he read pages and watched holos until well
past midnight, trying to absorb some fraction of her enormous life. But it was an impossible undertaking.
The history of the Earth seemed simple by comparison, and in so many ways, trivial. Alice had been
everywhere, and everything that her great hands touched had been saved, or improved, or, at the very
least, appreciated in some new way.

тАЬIтАЩm bored,тАЭ Xo repeated.

As if she heard him, Ravleen interrupted their long wait. тАЬEnemies in the woods,тАЭ she called out. тАЬOn the
west. On the move.тАЭ

Three squads were stationed on the strong west wall, including OrdтАЩs unit. Saying nothing, they stared up
into the leafless black woods, waiting for any motion, a delicious hint of drama riding in the wind.

тАЬMortars,тАЭ Ravleen cried out. тАЬFiring!тАЭ

Whump-whump. The Blues had a pair of mortars, cell-powered and air-driven, their size and range
dictated by ancient rules. Everyone dropped to their knees, hugging the parapet, and a pair of heavy
snowballs fell into the courtyard, bucket-sized and hitting no one. But they were only meant to judge
range and the wind. The next rounds did the damage, someone crying out, тАЬHeat,тАЭ as a crimson sphere
struck behind Xo. A chemical goo broke free of its envelope, activated by the air and melting the ice
beneath it. A thick red cancer was spreading. Ord and Xo jumped up, using shovels to fling the worst of
the goo below, then they used last nightтАЩs snow, making a fast, sloppy patch.

It was fast and fun, and everyone, including Xo, seemed to enjoy themselves.

тАЬReturn fire,тАЭ Ravleen ordered.

Their own mortars were loaded, aligned by hand and guesswork.Whump, whump. Whump, whump .
They fired only snow, harassing their invisible enemy. And then half a dozen Golds shouted, тАЬLook!тАЭ just
before the Blues broke from the woods above.

тАЬGuns on the shoulders,тАЭ said their general.

Ord had an old snowgunтАФa favorite. Untold numbers of sisters and brothers had carried it before him.
The old carbon stock was worn smooth, but the over-and-under barrels were perfectly aligned with the
simple laser sight. A potent compressor built up a cylinder of angry gas, and a slug of dense milky ice
was made inside each barrel, each round as big as a healthy thumb and spinning for accuracy, able to hit
someone in the teeth at forty meters.

тАЬReady,тАЭ Ravleen whispered into OrdтАЩs ears.

He looked over the wail-hailтАЩs right wing, snow-colored figures with deep blue face masks charging
across the fresh snow. A practiced scream grew louder as they closed the gap. There were two dozen
soldiers, including the eight who were quickly rolling cannons into positionтАжand where were the
othersтАж?

тАЬOn my command,тАЭ Ravleen roared. тАЬCannonsтАжfireтАж!тАЭ

Thunk-thunk-thunk. Three cannons were set on the west wall, a fourth held in reserve. Big fat rounds