"Sheri S. Tepper - The Fresco" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tepper Sherri)

putting her hand protectively over the bruise. "It'll heal up very soon.тАЭ
"Ah. You have our sympathy for being marred," this one said.
"Are you person of good reputation?" asked the taller one, with an admonitory glance toward its
companion. "You have done no foolish or evil thing that would make others consider your words false or
unbelievable?"
"All of us do foolish things," she said. "None of us are perfect. I've never done any purposeful evil . .
.тАЭ
You didn't mean to, Benita, but you bung your life out on the line like an old towel, to get faded and
ragged. I wish you could go back, daughter, but we can't do that.
тАЬ... I don't think I've done anything too ridiculous.тАЭ She sighed, and looked at her shoes.
"Will you help us make contact with your people, so we may do so peacefully, without injury to
anyone?"
This was real! The idea went off like a roman candle, pfoosh, whap! Honest to goodness real! Good
Lord, of course she would help avoid injury, though what could she do? "I will if I can," she equivocated,
trying to wet her mouth and lips. They were dry, achingly dry.
"We ask only what you can," the tall one said. "We will first give you names you can pronounce. We
will simplify our own names from our youth, our undifferentiated time. You may call me Chiddy, and my
companion is Vess.тАЭ Chiddy held out a bright red cube about six inches square. "This is our declaration.
Our investigation shows that this America section is the section most interested in search for
extraplanetary intelligence, so you will go to your authorities of this America section, and you will give
them this. When it is in the hands of authority, it will automatically do all necessary convincing, advising,
and preparing.тАЭ It nodded, well satisfied with this exposition.
The other one, the smaller, softer-voiced one, held out a folder. "Here is money for your trouble, legal
money, licitly obtained, not a replication, which we understand to be improper, plus we will do you a
welcome reversal.тАЭ The aliens stepped back, bowing, with their four hands or tweezers or whatever
together, upper right to lower left, upper left to lower right, so their yellow sleeves (shells?) made a neat
little X across their scarlet bellies.
Then the two of them, Chiddy and Vess, turned and went back to their ship, quad-a-lump, quad-a-
lump, like a team of trotters. The ship liquified to let them in, then solidified again, which was fine
because everyone knew about morphing ever since Arnold Schwarzenegger did one of those movies about
time travel, only it was the other guy who morphed . . .
Benita stayed where she was, holding the cube and the folder, while she tried to find words to tell
them they had the wrong messenger, that she didn't do things like this, that she didn't know how, couldn't
possibly . . .
By the time her mouth was ready to say "Wait," the ship was well off the ground. It rose until it
cleared the tops of the trees then soundlessly disappeared. The treetops moved as though hit by a strong
gust of wind from the east. She stood stupidly staring from the empty spot in the sky to the enigmatic
thing in her hands. It was warm. It hummed a little on her palms and she could feel the vibration. It also
changed color, from bright red to deep wine, and finally to dark blue. She set it on the ground, where it
turned red again and started to make an agitated noise, rather like a fussy baby. She looked in the folder
they had given her, counted for a rather long time, took a deep breath and counted again. There were two
hundred five-hundred-dollar bills. She put the money back in the folder and dropped it on the ground,
staring at it, as though it was a snake.
We're often tempted to be foolish, Bennie. Often tempted to do wrong.
Mami had never said anything about being tempted to do right! So, if she was tempted by this money,
did that mean it had to be wrong? Heavens, even children and puppy dogs received rewards for doing
right!
The cube was now squealing for attention, but it quieted and began to change color when she picked
it up and patted it, as she had done with her babies. After a moment's more confusion, she picked up the
folder as well. Though her brain seemed to be having a fit, her feet started moving, carrying her body