"SM Stirling - Change 02 - Scourge of God" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stirling S. M)

УStanonФMary said, nodding:absolutely , in Sindarin.
УIТll come with you, if youТll have me,Ф Frederick said quietly, looking at Rudi. УIТve got a feeling that . . . itТsreal important you get where youТre going.Ф
He smiled, and his face looked young again, despite sweat-streaked dust and new lines worn by care and grief. УAnd back! DonТt forget that!Ф
УSir!Ф the cavalry sergeant said. Then: УWell, I suppose itТll be interesting . . .Ф
Frederick Thurston shook his head, just once. УNo, Sergeant. You and the troops will stay here. YouТll report to your units as if youТd gotten separated at Wendell and youТll keep your heads low until you know youТre safe.Ф
He held up a hand at her protest. УAnd youТll spread the truth . . . carefully. When I get back, I want things to beready. Major Hanks will be in charge of setting up a . . . network, I think youТd call it. I doubt Martin, the new regime, will pay any attention to an engineering officer.Ф
GonzalezТ mouth quirked a little. УHeТll probably mothball that pedal-powered blimp Major Hanks loves, sir. And thatТll make himeven angrier than he is right now!Ф
Rudi thought quickly, and then held out his hand; FrederickТs grip was hard and strong. He shook hands all around; it had the air of a solemn rite, somehow.
УWelcome to the quest,Ф Rudi said. УIТll be glad of your help and company, Fred.Ф
УAnd weТre back up to nine,Ф Ritva said; she and her sister nodded, solemn as owls. УItТs canonical.Ф
They both looked innocent when Mathilda glared at them, and one of them tipped Rudi a wink. He laughed himself, and rose to help Ignatius smother the fire.
УYour sisters may be wiser than they think,Ф the priest said quietly as they worked. He went on at RudiТs raised eyebrow:
УI have been thinking of what this quest means,Ф he said, with the scholarly precision he used for serious matters. УHave you noticed that you seem to be . . .collecting people? Of a particular type?Ф
Rudi chuckled. УSure, and I so seem to have an attraction for disinherited princes,Ф he said.
УThat is because you are a hero, I think.Ф
Rudi frowned at him. УWell, thank youЧФ
The priest shook his head. УNo, IТm using the word in a . . .technical sense. I suspect, my son, that you are a hero in the sense that Sigurd or Beowulf or Roland was. Heroes accrete heroes around themЧheroes, and great evils. I thought that was true only in ancient story, but apparently the archetype holds true in our lives as well.Ф
УAh,Ф Rudi said softly.Was that a goose that just walked across my grave?
УWell, formy sake, I hope youТre wrong, Father,Ф he said. УI love the old stories, but sure and IТd rather listen to them than live them out.Ф
УI too. Human beings live by their legends; but if what I suspect is true, then we are livingin one.Ф A wry smile. УBut even Our Lord was refused when he asked that the cup pass from him.Ф
УSomething my mother said once . . . that my birth-father had walked into a myth without knowing it. I hadnТt expected the same to happen to me.Ф He shivered slightly. УDoes it make it better or worse that Iknow ?Ф
УPerhaps we should have expected it,Ф Ignatius said soberly. УWe children of the Change. It took the technology of our parents from usЧbut that is not all. Other things are . . . moving into the vacated spaces. It is as iftime were moving backwards in some fundamental way.Ф
УBack to the time of legends,Ф Rudi said.
УInto the time of myths,Ф Ignatius agreed.
УI wonder what will happen if we go too far back?Ф Rudi said.
Ignatius looked up at the stars. УWe find God. Or God finds us.Ф
а
It took Rudi minutes to cast off the mood the priestТs words had laid on him.
But itТs only so long a man can ponder on the deep things,he thought.Whatever shapes the Gods have in mind for him to wear, heТs also just a man.
УWalk with me, Matti,Ф he said. УOr rather, hobble by my side.Ф
They walked out a little into the dark. He started to put his arm around her shoulders, and winced at the sharp stab of pain, then completed the motion.
УSore?Ф she said sympathetically.
УFrom my face to my toes; and likely to be more so tomorrow.Ф
Mathilda nodded. УIТmfeeling like my own grandmother. You fought more, but I spent twenty hours tied up in a hauberk.Ф
Rudi nodded. УIalmost wish I had a real wound to distract me, so. But glad I am to have you back in good company, Matti, myanamchara ; while you were gone I came to a better understanding of the great whacking hole your absence would leave in the scheme of things.Ф
She looked up at him and smiled, but . . .
УSomething troubling you?Ф
УItТs not fair,Ф she laughed.
УWhat?Ф
УYouТreperceptive too. Male obliviousness is supposed to be a womanТs last defense.Ф
УAh, well, I have all those sisters, and my mother,Ф he pointed out. УAnd Dad . . . Sir Nigel . . . only came along when I was ten. Gave me an insight, so it did.Ф
Her face turned serious. УYou know, when we were cornered by the Cutters, we thought we were going to die.Ф
УBy the Trickster, so did I when they corneredme ! All ready to meet my late blood-father, so I was. And was rescued not by my own efforts but by a god from the machine . . . or at least, a machine sent by the gods.Ф
She frowned and nodded. УWell, as they were closing in on us . . . just before OdardТs man Alex laid him out with the crossbow butt . . . he said he loved me.Ф
УAh,Ф Rudi said, suddenly alert. УAnd what did you make of that?Ф
Mathilda made as if to punch him in the chest, then reconsidered; it would be more painful than a playful gesture should.
УNone of that question-to-a-question Socratic thing! ItТs irritating enough when Juniper or Father Ignatius does it! And youТre no holy man.Ф
УWell, if youТre asking me if heТs sincere . . . IТd have said that Odard was the great love of Odard LiuТs life. But heТs a man with a great sense of style, too . . .Ф
УMeow!Ф she said. УAnd declaring his love as a dying act would be stylish?Ф
Rudi smiled and shrugged.