"Jack Vance - Demon Prince 05 - The Book Of Dreams" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vance Jack)

tially by dint of abstract reasoningтАФpure deduction in the classical
patternтАФusing information supplied by one Walter Koedelin, an
old-time associate and now a Senior Officer of the IPCC.2

The two met in Sailmaker Beach, to the north of Avente, the
metropolis of Alphanor, first among Rigel's Concourse of Worlds.

Chancy's Tea House at the top of Sailmaker Beach overlooked a
thousand small houses, shops, taverns, and a small plaza used by a
hundred kinds of people. Each structure was washed a different
color: pale blue, pale green, lavender, pink, white, yellow, and each
cast a stark black shadow to the crackling Rigel-glare. Far below
could be seen a small crescent of beach. Beyond, the Thaumaturge
Ocean, soft dark blue, extended to the horizon, where floated pin-
nacles of white cumulus.

1. The allusion is perhaps explained in a paragraph from an interview in which
Freesong
stated "Men exploit animals to their needs and think nothing of the process
So-called
criminals exploit die ordinary ruck to their needs in die same manner, employ
ing equal
morality, hence criminals are properly to be known as 'Overmen ' "
2 Intei-world Police Coordinating Company originally a small bureau, collecung
and
collating information for the various police organizations of the Oikumene,
gradually- ex-
panding, diversifying, and undertaking special missions, at last to become die
largest and
most efficient law-enforcement agency of the human universe
THE BOOK OF DREAMS 749

At a table shaded under a dense growth of dark green memaris
sat Kirth Gersen and Walter Koedelin, a sandy-haired, pink-
skinned man somewhat more stocky than Gersen, with a short-
nosed, big-jawed face. Like Gersen, he wore spaceman's dark blue
and gray, the costume for folk who hoped to avoid attention. The
two men drank rum punch and discussed Howard Alan Treesong.

In the company of Gersen, Koedelin spoke without restraint.
"What is he up to now? That's a real puzzle. Ten years ago he
called himself 'Lord of the Overmen.* "

"In effect, 'King of Thieves.' "

"Exactly. He licensed every illicit act from Far Edge to Tan-
giers Old Socco. One rime Howard walked a backstreet in Bug-
town, on Arccurus IV, and a mugger jumped out. Howard asked:

'Are you registered with the Organization?'