"Mike Resnick - A Miracle Of Rare Design" - читать интересную книгу автора (Resnick Mike)

the ceremony and leave in peace?тАЭ
The Firefly stared at him for a long moment. тАЬYou are as single-minded and foolish as you were said to be.тАЭ
Something between a grimace and a wry smile passed across Lennox's face. тАЬIt's my nature.тАЭ
тАЬYour nature is irrelevant.тАЭ
Another Firefly, also wearing a golden robe, approached to within twenty feet of them and gestured Lennox's
captor to approach him.
тАЬYou are surrounded,тАЭ said the first Firefly. тАЬDo not move or you will be instantly killed.тАЭ
With that, he walked to the other gold-robed Firefly, and the two of them engaged in an animated discussion
in a dialect that Lennox could not understand. Finally, after a few minutes, the first Firefly returned to him.
тАЬYou are quite fortunate, Xavier William Lennox,тАЭ he said. тАЬMy people agree that killing you will bring
repercussions upon us. This is of very little importance to me, for I know my god will protect us, but there are
others whose faith is not as strong as mine. Therefore, if you will give me your word that you will leave
Grotamana and never return, you will be permitted to live.тАЭ
Son of a bitch!, thought Lennox.They bought it. They're not going to kill me!
тАЬYou have it,тАЭ replied Lennox, then added: тАЬAs soon as I have observed the ceremony.тАЭ
тАЬYour answer is unacceptable.тАЭ
тАЬYou will find the weapons of my friends even less acceptable,тАЭ replied Lennox meaningfully.
тАЬWe are many, you are few,тАЭ noted the Firefly. тАЬPerhaps we shall kill you all.тАЭ
тАЬIf you do, then one day soon the sky will turn black with Republic ships, and not a single Firefly, not a single
draft animal, not a single plant or flower will still be alive by nightfall.тАЭ
тАЬI have already explained that your threats are meaningless.тАЭ
тАЬI am not making a threat,тАЭ answered Lennox. тАЬI am making a prediction.тАЭ
The Firefly left Lennox and approached his golden-robed companion. Again they engaged in an animated
conversation for a moment, and then he returned.
тАЬWe are considering the situation.тАЭ
Lennox nodded. тАЬThat is a wise thing to do.тАЭ He paused. тАЬHave you a name?тАЭ
тАЬWhy?тАЭ
тАЬI wish to know who to thank when I am released.тАЭ
тАЬMy name is Chomanche, and you will not wish to thank me.тАЭ
Suddenly the Fireflies fell silent and began looking up. Lennox did the same, and saw a naked Firefly, his
skin glowing a pale gold in the dark, standing atop the pyramid.
тАЬYou will stay where you are until we have decided what to do with you,тАЭ said Chomanche.
тАЬWhere would I go?тАЭ asked Lennox.
тАЬNowhere,тАЭ said Chomanche decisively. He signaled to two of the armed Fireflies and uttered a brief
command. Before Lennox could translate it and anticipate what was coming, each Firefly had thrust a spear
through one of his feet.
Lennox bellowed in surprise and pain. He wanted to fall onto his knees, to do anything to take some of the
pressure off his feet, but Chomanche held his bound hands firmly behind his back. Finally he nodded and the
Fireflies withdrew their spears. It was even more excruciating than the initial thrusts. When Chomanche felt
Lennox begin to collapse, he released his grip on the bonds and allowed the human to sink to the ground.
тАЬYou didn't have to do that!тАЭ grated Lennox, as blood poured out through the holes in his shoes.
тАЬOf course we did,тАЭ replied Chomanche calmly.
тАЬI wasn't going anywhere!тАЭ
тАЬYou are not to be trusted.тАЭ
Chomanche stepped a few feet away and shifted his gaze to the lone figure atop the pyramid, and, through a
haze of pain, Lennox looked up.
The naked Firefly stood at the very edge, some sixty feet above them, making what Lennox assumed to be
mystical signs with his hands. Suddenly his vestigial wings began flapping, the first time Lennox had ever
seen any adult Firefly move the membranes on its back, and the assembled multitude began a deep, guttural
singsong chant. The wings beat faster and faster until Lennox could no longer make out their shape, and