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

Calling it a тАЬgameтАЭ was taboo. Snowfare was a serious exercise that taught you to give orders and obey
orders and think well for yourself when there was nobody there but you.

тАЬWeтАЩre too old to play,тАЭ his friend persisted. тАЬI know I am.тАЭ

This wasnтАЩt about Ravleen, which left Ord with no easy, clear rebuke. He asked, тАЬWhat will you do
instead?тАЭ He assumed there was some other diversion waiting for Xo. Perhaps a trip somewhere. Not off
the estates, of course. That wasnтАЩt permitted, not at their age. But maybe one of XoтАЩs siblings wanted to
take him on a hunt, or somehow else share time with him.

But the boy said, тАЬNothing. IтАЩm just going to sit at home and study.тАЭ He paused for a moment. тАЬPut the
pointed end here, okay? Drop it next to this ear. And I promise, IтАЩll tell my sisters that Ravleen did it.тАЭ

Ord watched the boy lie on the hard white trail, his face cocked a little bit to his right. He was waiting
calmly for his skull to be shattered. The stone couldnтАЩt hurt him too badly. Eons ago, humans gave up
their soft brains for better ones built of tough, nearly immortal substances. The worst Ord could manage
would be to scramble some of the neural connections, making Xo forgetful and clumsy for the next few
days. The body might even die, but nothing more. Nothing less than a nuclear fire could kill them. Which
was the same for almost every human being today.

тАЬAre you going to help me?тАЭ the boy whined.

Ord watched the hopeful face, judging distance and mass, deciding what would make the ugliest, most
spectacular wound. But he kept thinking back to XoтАЩs comment about being too old, knowing he was
right. Some trusted spark for the game had slipped away unnoticed, and that bothered the boy.

тАЬOrd?тАЭ

тАЬYeah?тАЭ
тАЬWill you hurry up?тАЭ

He let the stone slip free of his grip, and the earth pulled it down with a smooth perfection, missing XoтАЩs
head by nothing.

тАЬNo, I shouldnтАЩt,тАЭ Ord said. тАЬI wonтАЩt, forget it.тАЭ

тАЬBe that way!тАЭ The boy lifted the stone himself, groaning as he took aim, trying to summon the courage to
finish the job. He was invulnerable, but so were his ancient instincts. This was not easy. His arms shook,
then collapsed. The attempt looked like a half accidentтАФa slick wetthud тАФand his head was left dented
on one side. But not badly enough, they discovered. Xo could stand by himself, a little dizzy, but still on
his feet. He touched his wounds one after another, telling himself, тАЬAt least IтАЩll get tomorrow to myself.тАЭ
He wasnтАЩt looking at Ord, and he was talking to himself. тАЬThis is good enough,тАЭ he claimed with a soft
wet voice that instantly got lost in the muting whisper of falling snow.

Two
тАЬIn the universe, there is just the one ultimate law: Life always devises some ultimate means to put an end
to life.тАЭ

тАФAliceтАЩs testimony