"Spider Robinson - User Friendly" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robinson Spider)

convinced that it would be safe here.
"Naturally the Users came here first," Greg said with cold, bitter anger, handing his wife the slacks she
had kicked off on her way out the door some hours before. "We were meant for each other, them and
Canadians. Strong, superior parasites from the sky? Who just move right in and take over without asking
or apologizing?" His voice began to rise in pitch and volume. "Arrogant puppetmasters who show up
and start pulling your strings for you, dump you like a stolen car when they're done with you, too
powerful to fight and indifferent to your rage and shame? And your own government breaks its neck to
help 'em do whatever they want, sells out without even stopping to ask the price in case it might offend
'em?" He was shouting at the top of his lungs. "Hell, man, we almost didn't even notice the Users. We
took 'em for Americans."
Alice was dressed again now. Her voice was soft and hoarse; someone had been doing a lot of talking
with her vocal cords recently. "Greg, shut up."
"Well, dammit all, he--"
She put a hand over his mouth. "Please, my very beloved, shut your face. I can't talk louder than you
this time, my throat hurts."
He shut up at once, put his own hand over hers and held it tightly against his face, screwing his eyes
shut. She leaned against him and they put their free arms around each other; the sight made Sam want to
weep like a child.
"Greg," she said huskily, "I love you. Part of me wants to cheer what you just said; many Canadians
would. But you're wrong to say it."
"I know, baby, I know exactly the pain Sam's going through, don't I? That's why I got mad at him,
thinking his pain was bigger 'cause it was American. I'm sorry, SamтАФ"
"That's only part of why you're wrong. This is more important than our friendship with Sam and
Marian, my love. Pay attention: you would never have said what you said if there'd been an Inuit in the
room. Or a MicMac, or a French Canadian, or a Pakistani. You'd never have said it if we were standing
in North Preston, talking to someone who used to live in Africville till they moved all the darkies out to
build a bridge approach. Don't you see, darling, everybody is a Canadian now. Everybody on Earth is
now a Native People; a Frog; a Wog; a Paid; a NiggerтАФgradations of Niggerhood just don't seem all
that important any more.
"Gregory, some of the Users wear a human body as though it ought to have flippers, or extra legs, or
wingsтАФI saw one try to make an arm work like a tentacle, and break it. There are a lot of different races
and species and genuses of UserтАФone of the things they seem to be using Earth for is a conference table

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at which to work out their own hierarchy of power and intelligence and wealth. I've heard a lot of the
palaver; they don't bother to turn my ears off because they don't care if I hear or not. Most of it I don't
understand even though they do use English a lot, but a few things I've noticed.
"If two neighboring races discover that one is vastly superior to the other in resources or wisdom or
aggressiveness, they don't spend a lot of time whining about the inequity of it all. They figure out where
it looks like the water is going to wind up when it's finished flowing downhill, and then they start
looking for ways to live with that.
"I've never heard a User say the words, `It's not fair.' Apparently, if you can form that thought, you
don't reach the stars. The whole universe is a hierarchy of Users and Used, from the race that developed
the long-distance telepathy that brought them all here, down to the cute little microorganisms that are
ruthlessly butchered every day by a baby seal. We're part of that chain, and if we can't live with that,
we'll die."
The three were silent for a time. Finally Sam cleared his throat. "If you two will excuse me," he said
softly, "I have to be getting back home to my wife now."