"James Tiptree Jr - The Color of Neanderthal Eyes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tiptree James Jr)

"Oh yes." He touches his shining hair. "My head is full of it."
"When?"
"This evening for sure." He looks me over again, curiously. "What will you do in the storm, 'Om
Jared?"
"Take my stuff farther up on land and wait it out. What will you do?"
"Well, of course, we go down into the deep water where all is calm and wait it out, as you say. Very
boringтАж But today I think I will stay with you. I haven't seen a storm on top since I was a child. Would
you like me to be with you? I can help carry your things." His head cocks to the side as he looks up, shy,
coy, absolutely charming. I can no longer stand this convention of "he."
"KamirтАФ"
"Yes?"
"Kamir, in my race there are two types of people, because of our way of reproductionтАФ" I begin a
clumsy exposition of gender and sex. What's the matter with me? I never have trouble with this part of
Contact, never thought about it before.
I am halfway through when Kamir bursts out laughing. "YesтАж yesтАж We also have two. AndтАж?"
Another of those killing smiles.
"And which are you?"
"Do you ask?"
"Yes."
"I thought it was plain. Perhaps because I am so ugly it is not."
"Ugly? But you are very beautiful, Kamir."
The lovely face turns on me, the incredible deep blue eyes wide. "Do you mean that, 'Om Jared?" A
hand comes timidly to clasp my forearm.
"I mean it. Yes."
Very softly Kamir says, "I thought never to hear those words." Then, whispering, "I am an
egg-bearer. What you call a female."
And herтАФher!тАФred head goes down on my forearm, hiding her face.
I can only stammer, "Ah, Kamir, I wish we were not of different races!тАФ"
"I too," she breathes.
It is incredible, whether a chance match of pheromones across the light-years, whatever, I am
trembling. I look down her graceful back, with its lacy frill proclaiming her alienness, and it does not seem
alien at all. My mermaiden.
But I am in mortal danger, I must straighten up and fly right.
"Kamir, I do not think you should stay with me through the storm."
"Why not?"
"ItтАФthere might be dangersтАФ" It is impossible to lie to a telepath.
"If you can endure them, so can I! Ah, why do we speak nonsense? For some reason you are afraid
of my nearness."
"Yes," I say miserably. What can I tell her convincingly? Of the iron Rule Number One in ET
contacts? Of the follies that Humans, men and women alike, succumb to? Of the fact which I have just
realized, that I have been a very lonely man? Why else, I ask myself, should I be so smitten by a purely
chance resemblance to Human beauty?
"Look," she says, lifting her head to the sky. "The storm is coming much fasterтАж I don't think I will
have time to swim to a really safe place. If my presence disturbs you, I will stay far, very far away. When
we have moved your things."
Little mischief, is she lying? My senses tell me so. But when I, too, look up, I see that the sky has
taken on a curious yellowish tint, though no clouds show yet. The sea is so flat it looks oily, and the air is
ominously still and hot. She is right, whatever is coming is moving fast. And these seas are shallow, it may
be a long way to a deep place. In any event, it is time to secure my possessions.
"Very well," I say with profound unwisdom. "Then if you want to help me, we will move my boat and