"Jean Marie Stine - Future Eves" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stine Jean Marie)

We were first apprised of their coming when the alarm from Tola was sent from the
great beam station there, advising all to stand in readiness for an emergency. Geble,
my mother, was then Queen of all Gola, and I was by her side in Morka, that
pleasant seaside resort, where I shall soon travel to partake of its rejuvenating waters.
With us were four of Geble's consorts, sweet gentle males that gave Geble much
pleasure in those free hours away from the worries of state. But when the word of
the strangers' descent over our home city, Tola, came to us, all else was forgotten.
With me at her side, Geble hastened to the beam station and there in the matter
transmitter we dispatched our physical beings to the palace at Tola, and the next
moment were staring upward at the two strange shapes etched against the clouds.
What the Detaxalan ships were waiting for we did not know then, but later we
learned. Not grasping the meaning of our beam stations, the commanders of the
ships considered the city below them entirely lacking in means of defense, and were
conferring on the method of taking it without bloodshed on either side.
It was not long after our arrival in Tola that the first of the ships began to descend
toward the great square before the palace. Geble watched without a word, her great
mind already scanning the brains of those whom she found within the great machine.
She transferred to my mind but a single thought as I stood there at her side and that
with a sneer "Barbarians!"
Now the ship was settling in the square and after a few moments of hesitation, a
circular doorway appeared at the side and four of the Detaxalans came through the
opening. The square was empty but for themselves and their flyer, and we saw them
looking about surveying the beautiful buildings on all sides. They seemed to
recognize the palace for what it was and in one accord moved in our direction.
Then Geble left the window at which we stood and strode to the doorway opening
upon the balcony that faced the square. The Detaxalans halted in their tracks when
they saw her slender graceful form appear and removing the strange coverings they
wore on their heads they each made a bow.
Again Geble sneered, for only the male-things of our world bow their heads, and so
she recognized these visitors for what they were, nothing more than the despicable
males of the species! And what creatures they were!
Imagine a short almost flat body set high upon two slender legs, the body tapering in
the middle, several times as broad across as it is through the center, with two arms
almost as long as the legs attached to the upper part of the torso. A small
column-like neck of only a few inches divides the head of oval shape from the body,
and in this head only are set the organs of sight, hearing, and scent. Their bodies
were like a patchwork of a misguided nature.
Yes, strange as it is, my daughters, practically all of the creature's faculties had their
base in the small ungainly head, and each organ was perforce pressed into serving
for several functions. For instance, the breathing nostrils also served for scenting out
odors, nor was this organ able to exclude any disagreeable odors that might come its
way, but had to dispense to the brain both pleasant and unpleasant odors at the same
time.
Then there was the mouth, set directly beneath the nose, and here again we had an
example of one organ doing the work of two, for the creature not only used the
mouth with which to take in the food for its body, but it also used the mouth to
enunciate the excruciatingly ugly sounds of its language.
Never before have I seen such a poorly organized body, so unlike our own highly
developed organisms. How much nicer it is to be able to call forth any organ at will,
and dispense with it when its usefulness is over! Instead these poor Detaxalans had