"Alastair Reynolds - Minla's Flowers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reynolds Alastair)

When Merlin didnтАЩt move, he felt a rifle jab into the small of his back. тАЬDistal,тАЭ the
man said again, this time with an emphasis bordering on the hysterical.
 Then another voice boomed across the apron, one that belonged to a much
older man. There was something instantly commanding about the voice. Looking to
the source of the exclamation, Merlin saw the wrecked aircraft entangled in its
capture net, and the pilot in the process of crawling out from the tangle, with a
wooden box in his hands. The rifle stopped jab-bing MerlinтАЩs back, and the
cruel-looking young man fell silent while the pilot made his way over to them.

The pilot had removed his goggles now, revealing the lined face of an older
man, his gray-white beard and whiskers stark against ruddy, weather-worn skin. For
a moment Merlin felt that he was looking in the mirror at an older version of himself.

тАЬGreetings from the Cohort,тАЭ Merlin said. тАЬIтАЩm the man who saved your life.тАЭ

тАЬGecko,тАЭ the red-faced man said, pushing the wooden box into MerlinтАЩs
chest. тАЬForlorn gecko!тАЭ

Now that Merlin had a chance to examine it properly, he saw that the box was
damaged, its sides caved in and its lid ripped off. Inside was a matrix of straw
padding and a great many shattered glass vials. The pilot took one of these smashed
vials and held it up before MerlinтАЩs face, honey-colored fluid draining down his
fingers.

тАЬWhat is it?тАЭ Merlin asked.

Leaving Merlin to hold the box and flowers, the red-faced pilot pointed angrily
toward the wreckage of his aircraft, and in particular at the cylin-drical attachment
Merlin had taken for a fuel tank. He saw now that the cylinder was the repository for
dozens more of these wooden boxes, most of which must have been smashed when
Merlin had nudged the aircraft with Tyrant.

тАЬDid I do something wrong?тАЭ Merlin asked.

In a flash the manтАЩs anger turned to despair. He was crying, the tears
smudging the soot on his cheeks. тАЬTangible,тАЭ he said, softer now. тАЬAll tan-gible
inkwells. Gecko.тАЭ

Merlin reached into the box and retrieved one of the few intact vials. He held
the delicate thing to his eyes. тАЬMedicine?тАЭ

тАЬPlastrum,тАЭ the man said, taking the box back from Merlin.

тАЬShow me what you do with this,тАЭ Merlin said, as he motioned drinking the
vial. The man shook his head, narrowing his wrinkled ice-blue eyes at him as if he
thought that Merlin was either stupid or making fun. Merlin rolled up the sleeve of his
arm and motioned injecting himself. The pilot nodded tentatively.
 тАЬPlastrum,тАЭ he said again. тАЬVestibule plastrum.тАЭ

тАЬYou have some kind of medical crisis? Is that what you were doing, bringing