"Kim Stanley Robinson - Mars 1 - Red Mars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robinson Kim Stanley)

were going crazy. One last paving stone, heaved at a big lit picture window across the
grass. It missed. He slipped further into the trees.

Near the southern wall he saw someone under a sycamoreтАФSelim, circling
nervously. тАЬSelim,тАЭ Frank called quietly, sweating. He reached into his jumper pocket,
carefully felt in the bag and palmed the trio of stem patches. Synergy could be so
powerful, for good or ill. He walked forward and roughly embraced the young Arab. The
patches hit and penetrated Selim's light cotton shirt. Frank pulled back.

Now Selim had about six hours. тАЬDid you speak with Boone?тАЭ he asked.

тАЬI tried," Chalmers said. "He didnтАЩt listen. He lied to me.тАЭ It was so easy to feign
distress: тАЬTwenty-five years of friendship, and he lied to me!тАЭ He struck a tree trunk with
his palm, and the patches flew away in the dark. He controlled himself. "His coalition is
going to recommend that all Martian settlements originate in the countries that signed the
first treaty.тАЭ It was possible; and it was certainly plausible.

тАЬHe hates us!тАЭ Selim cried.

тАЬHe hates everything that gets in his way. And he can see that Islam is still a real
force in peopleтАЩs lives. It shapes the way people think, and he canтАЩt stand that.тАЭ

Selim shuddered. In the gloom the whites of his eyes were bright. тАЬHe has to be
stopped.тАЭ

Frank turned aside, leaned against a tree. тАЬIтАж don't know.тАЭ

тАЬYou said it yourself. Talk means nothing.тАЭ

Frank circled the tree, feeling dizzy. You fool, he thought, talk means everything. We
are nothing but information exchange, talk is all we have!

He came on Selim again and said, тАЬHow?тАЭ
 тАЬThe planet. It is our way.тАЭ

тАЬThe city gates are locked tonight.тАЭ

That stopped him. His hands started to twist.

Frank said, тАЬBut the gate to the farm is still open.тАЭ

тАЬBut the farm's outer gates will be locked.тАЭ

Frank shrugged, let him figure it out.

And quickly enough Selim blinked, and said "Ah." Then he was gone.

###

Frank sat between trees, on the ground. It was a sandy damp brown dirt, product of