"James Tiptree Jr - Beyond the Dead Reef" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tiptree James Jr)

out of your customs on a national holiday, and people couldn't have been finer to me."

"Ah yes. Belize the blessed, where sixteen nationalities live in perfect racial harmony. The odd thing is,
they do."

"I could see that. But I couldn't quite count all sixteen."
"My own grandmother was a BurmeseтАФso called. I think it was the closest grandfather could come to
Black. Although the mix is extraordinary."

"My factor there was a very dark Hindu with red hair and a Scottish accent, named Robinson. I had to
hire him in seven minutes. He was a miracle of efficiency. I hope he's still going."

"RobinsonтАж Used to work for customs?"

"Why, yes, now you recall it."

"He's fineтАж Of course, we felt it when the British left. Among other things, half the WCs in the hotels
broke down the first month. But there are more important things in life than plumbing."

"That I believeтАж But you know, I've never been sure how much help the British would have been to
you. Two years before your independence I called the British Embassy with a question about your
immigration laws, and believe it or not I couldn't find one soul who even knew there was a British
Honduras, let alone that they owned it. One child finally denied it flatly and hung up. And this was their
main embassy in Washington, D.C. I realized then that Britain was not only sick, but crazy."

"Actually denied our existence, eh?" My companion's voice held a depth and timbre of sadness such as I
have heard only from victims of better-known world wrongs. Absently his hand went under his jacket,
and he pulled out something gleaming.

"Forgive me." It was a silver flask, exquisitely plain. He uncapped and drank, a mere swallow, but, I
suspected, something of no ordinary power. He licked his lips as he recapped it, and sat up straighter
while he put it away.

"Shall we move along out to the end?"

"With pleasure."

We strolled on, passing a few late sports-boats disgorging hungry divers.

"I'm going to do some modest exploring tomorrow," I told him. "A guide named JorgeтАФ" in Spanish it's
pronounced HorhayтАФ "Jorge Chuc is taking me out to the end of the north reef. He says there's a pretty
little untouched spot out there. I hope so. Today I went south, it was so badly shot over I almost wept.
CripplesтАФand of course shark everywhere. Would you believe I found a big she-turtle, trying to live with
a steel bolt through her neck? I managed to catch her, but all I could do for her was pull it out. I hope she
makes it."

"BadтАж Turtles are tough, though. If it wasn't vital you may have saved her. But did you say that Jorge
Chuc is taking you to the end of the north reef?"

"Yes, why? Isn't it any good?"