"Ringo, John - Council Wars 1 - There Will Be Dragons" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ringo John)

"A what?" Ishtar asked. She blinked her eyes for a moment as she accessed data
then nodded. "Ah, I see what you mean. That is ancient. But it does fit his
personality."
"He wants to use the Council's control of energy distribution to coerce people,"
Sheida said. "That is why he called this meeting."
"And you're sure of this?" Ishtar said. "He has said nothing to me."
"I think he thinks I agree with him because I'm not a Change," Sheida replied.
"Do you?" Ishtar asked. "I have known you for at least a hundred years and
except for occasional changes in eye and hair color I have never seen you
Change."
"A good Change requires a genetic component," she said, gesturing at Ishtar's
form. "You know what Daneh does for a living."
"But we are past that, surely," Ishtar said. "Such mistakes no longer happen."
"Perhaps and perhaps not," Sheida replied. "I choose, however, to retain my own
form. It's good enough for me."
"So he thinks you will vote with him?" Ishtar asked.
"Probably. At least from the hints he has been dropping. And I gave him no
reason to doubt it, while not committing. Also, I think he waited until Chansa
was elected to the Council."
"Chansa isЕ odd," Ishtar said. "I've heard some very ugly rumors about his
personal life."
"Odd but brilliant," Sheida replied. "Like the rest of Paul's faction. So bright
and yet so lacking inЕ wisdom. It seems to be the one trait we could not enhance
in humanity. Immunity, processing power, beauty." She sighed and shook her head.
"But not wisdom. They are so very very smart and yet so very stupid for all that
the problems do exist."
"You are opposed, correct?" Ishtar asked with a delicate frown.
"Oh, yes," Sheida said with a nod. "They are right that there is a problem. That
does not mean that their solutions are either optimum or even in order. But I
wonder what he will do when he finds out?"
"I would say 'to be a bug on the wall,' " Ishtar said with a smile. "But
unfortunately I'm going to be at the center of the debate."
"Change is an inevitable outgrowth of our technology," Sheida said with a shrug.
"From the nannites and the replicators we get the medical technology. And that
same technology permits people to beЕ" she glanced at her companion and smiled,
"whatever we can imagine."
Ishtar laughed at the ambiguity of the ending and shrugged her slim shoulders.
"Perhaps Paul simply means to end all medical technology? Perhaps that too is
'unnecessary'?"
"If so he can take it up with my sister."
* * *
Herzer awoke in light; his genie had changed the force screens from opaque to
transparent and now "stood" by, holding out a robe.
The boy floating, horizontal, in midair was young and tall with broad shoulders
and close cropped black hair. His body seemed to be wasting away, but something
of it conveyed an aura of former strength, like an old strongman, far past his
prime. Herzer blinked his eyes uncertainly, working them to clear a crust gluing
his eyelashes shut. After a moment he sent a command and nannites scurried
across his face, clearing the debris of sleep.
"Master Herzer, your appointment with Doctor Ghorbani is in one hour and thirty