"Jack Vance - The Gray Prince" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vance Jack)

тАЬNaturally. The Gaean Charter prohibits slavery, and the erjins are enslaved: benignly here at Olanje, not
so benignly in Uaia. And the Wind-runners, whose role everyone ignores, are slavers, pure and simple.тАЭ

тАЬOr domesticatorsтАФif they conceive the erjins to be no more than clever beasts.тАЭ

Schaine said: тАЬI canтАЩt understand how erjins can be tamed; in fact, I canтАЩt believe it! An erjin is ferocious;
it hates men!тАЭ

тАЬSim and Slim are quite docile,тАЭ said Valtrina. тАЬAs to how and why: I canтАЩt even guess.тАЭ

Sim the erjin footman once again passed by, splendid in its livery. Meeting the opaque orange gaze from
among the black optical tufts, Schaine received the uncomfortable impression that it understood all which
transpired. тАЬPerhaps it would prefer not being gelded or altered or brainwashedтАФwhatever the Wind-
runners do to it.тАЭ

тАЬAsk it,тАЭ Valtrina suggested agreeably.

тАЬI donтАЩt know how.тАЭ

ValtrinaтАЩs contralto voice became lofty and careless. тАЬSo why worry? TheyтАЩre free to leave whenever
they like. I donтАЩt keep them in chains. Do you know why they work here? Because they prefer Villa
Mirasol to the deserts of Uaia. No one complains except the Association of Labor Guilds which feels a
threat to its absurdly high wage structure.тАЭ Valtrina gave her head a lordly jerk and stalked across the
room to where a pair of Uldras formed the nucleus of another group.

Gerd Jemasze spoke to no one in particular: тАЬI wonтАЩt say that all this talk is a waste of time, because
people seem to enjoy it.тАЭ

In a frigid voice Glinth Isbane said: тАЬWords are the vehicle of ideas. Ideas are the components of
intellectualization, which distinguished men from animals. If you object to the exchange of ideas,
thenтАФin essenceтАФyou reject civilization.тАЭ

Jemasze grinned. тАЬNot such a bad idea as you might think.тАЭ

Glinth Isbane turned away and went off to join Valtrina. Jemasze and Kelse sauntered to the buffet where
Alger supplied them refreshment. Schaine went to inspect a pair of Uldra lamps, carved from blocks of
red chert in the distinctive Uldra style of reckless asymmetry. Elvo Glissam came to join her. тАЬDo you
like these lamps?тАЭ


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тАЬTheyтАЩre interesting to look at,тАЭ said Schaine. тАЬPersonally, I wouldnтАЩt care to own them.тАЭ

тАЬOh? They seem very dashing and adventurous.тАЭ

Schaine gave a grudging nod. тАЬI suppose itтАЩs a prejudice left over from my childhood, when everything
Uldra was supposed to be erratic and uneven and wild. I realize now that the Uldras consider uniformity a