"Kate Wilhelm - Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wilhelm Kate)

walked around his desk and sat down.
W-l sat quietly, with none of the nervous mannerisms that Walt exhibited, none of the finger
tapping that was as much a part of WaltтАЩs conversation as his words. No pulling his ears or
rubbing his nose. A Walt with something missing, a dead area. Now, with fatigue drawing his face,
W-1 sat unmoving, waiting patiently for David to begin, much the same way an adult might wait for
a hesitant child to initiate a conversation.
тАЬHow did your people know about the accident?тАЭ David asked. тАЬNo one else knew.тАЭ
W-l shrugged. A time-consumer question, he seemed to imply. тАЬWe just knew.тАЭ
тАЬWhat are you doing in the lab now?тАЭ David asked, and heard a strained note in his voice.
Somehow he had been made to feel like an interloper; his question sounded like idle chatter.
тАЬPerfecting the methods,тАЭ W-l said. тАЬThe usual thing.тАЭ And something else, David thought,
but he didnтАЩt press it. тАЬThe equipment should be in excellent shape for years,тАЭ he said. тАЬAnd the
methods, while probably not the best conceivable, are efficient enough. Why tamper now, when the
experiment seems to be proving itself?тАЭ For a moment he thought he saw a flicker of surprise cross
W-lтАЩs face, but it was gone too swiftly and once more the smooth mask revealed nothing.
тАЬRemember when one of your women killed one of us a long time ago, David? Hilda murdered the
child of her likeness. We all shared that death, and we realized that each of you is alone. WeтАЩre
not like you, David. I think you know it, but now you must accept it.тАЭ He stood up. тАЬAnd we wonтАЩt
go back to what you are.тАЩтАЩ
David stood up also, and his legs felt curiously weak. тАЬWhat exactly do you mean?тАЭ
тАЬSexual reproduction isnтАЩt the only answer. Just because the higher organisms evolved to it
doesnтАЩt mean itтАЩs the best. Each time a species has died out, there has been another higher one to
replace it.тАЭ
тАЬCloning is one of the worst ways for a higher species,тАЭ David said slowly. тАЬIt stifles
diversity, you know that.тАЭ The weakness in his legs seemed to be climbing; his hands began to
tremble. He gripped the edge of the desk.
тАЬThatтАЩs assuming diversity is beneficial. Perhaps it isnтАЩt,тАЭ W-l said. тАЬYou pay a high price
for individuality.тАЭ
тАЬThere is still the decline and extinction,тАЭ David said. тАЬHave you got around that?тАЭ He
wanted to end this conversation, to hurry from the sterile office and the smooth unreadable face
with the sharp eyes that seemed to know what he was feeling.
тАЬNot yet,тАЭ W-l said. тАЬBut we have the fertile members to fall back on until we do.тАЭ He moved
around the desk and walked toward the door. тАЬI have to check my patients,тАЭ he said, and held the
door open for David.
тАЬBefore I leave,тАЭ David said, тАЬwill you tell me what is the matter with Walt?тАЭ
тАЬDonтАЩt you know?тАЭ W-1 shook his head. тАЬI keep forgetting, you donтАЩt tell each other things,
do you? He has cancer. Inoperable. It metastasized. HeтАЩs dying, David. I thought you knew that.тАЭ
David walked blankly for an hour or more, and finally found himself in his room, exhausted,
unwilling yet to go to bed. He sat at his window until it was dawn, and then he went to WaltтАЩs
room. When Walt woke up he reported what W-1 had told him.


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тАЬTheyтАЩll use the fertile ones only to replenish their supply of clones,тАЭ he said. тАЬThe
humans among them will be pariahs. TheyтАЩll destroy what we worked so hard to create.тАЭ
тАЬDonтАЩt let them do it, David. For GodтАЩs sake, donтАЩt let them do it!тАЭ WaltтАЩs color was bad,
and he was too weak to sit up. тАЬVlasicтАЩs mad, so heтАЩll be of no help. You have to stop them
somehow.тАЭ Bitterly he said, тАЬThey want to take the easy way out, give up now when we know