"Walter Jon Williams - Prayers on the Wind" - читать интересную книгу автора (Williams Walter John)

said equably. "They did not realize they were setting in violation of the agreement."
"That does not invalidate the agreement."
"Conceded, Ambassador. Still, would it not be unjust, after all their hard labor, to ask them to move?"
!urq's antennae bobbed politely. "Does not your Blessed One admit that life is composed of suffering?
Does the Buddha not condemn the demon of worldly desires? What desire could be more worldly than a
desire to possess a world?"
Jigme was impressed. Definitely, he thought, she was getting better at this sort of thing.
"In the same text," said Jigme, "Shakyamuni tells us to refrain from disputes, and not repel one another
like water and oil, but like milk and water mingle together." He opened his hands in an offering gesture.
"Will your government not accept a new planet in exchange? Or better yet, will they not dispose of this
border altogether, and allow a free commerce between our races?"
"What new planet?" !urq's arms formed a querying posture.
"We explore constantly in order to fulfill the mandate of the Library and provide it with more data.
Our survey records are available through your Library access. Choose any planet that has not yet been
inhabited by humans."
 "Any planet chosen will be outside of our zone of influence, far from our own frontiers and easily cut
off from our home sphere."
"Why would we cut you off, Ambassador?"
"Gyangtse is of strategic significance. It is a penetration of our border."
"Let us then dispose of the border entirely."
!urq's antennae stood erect. Her arms took a martial position. "You humans are larger, more
populous. You would overwhelm us by sheer numbers. The border must remain inviolate."
"Let us then have greater commerce across the border than before. With increased knowledge,
distrust will diminish."
"You would send missionaries. I know there are Jesuits and Gelugspa who have been training for
years in hopes of obtaining converts or martyrdom in the Sang dominions."
"In would be a shame to disappoint them." There was a slight smile on the Incarnation's face.
!urq's arms formed an obstinate pattern. "They would stir up trouble among the Maskers. They would
preach to the credulous among my own race. My government must protect its own people."
"The message of Shakyamuni is not a political message, Ambassador."
"That is a matter of interpretation, Omniscient."
"Will you transmit my offer to your government?" !urq held her stance for a long moment. Jigme could
sense Dr. O'Neill's fury in the alien's obstinacy. "I will do so, Omniscient," said the Ambassador. "Though
I have no confidence that it will be accepted."
"I think the offer will be accepted," said Miss Taisuke. She sat on the grass in Jigme's tent. She was in
the butterfly position, the soles of her feet pressed together and her knees on the ground. Jigme sat
beside her. One of Jigme's students, a clean-limbed lad named Rabjoms, gracefully served them tea and
cakes, then withdrew.
"The Sang are obdurate," said Jigme. "Why do you think there is hope?"
"Sooner or later the Sang will realize they may choose any one of hundreds of unoccupied planets. It
will dawn on them that they can pick one on the far side of our sphere, and their spy ships can travel the
length of human occupied space on quite legitimate missions, and gather whatever information they
desire."
"Ah."
"All this in exchange for one minor border penetration."
Jigme thought about this for a moment. "We've held onto Gyangtse in order to test the Sangs'
rationality and their willingness to fight. There has been no war in twelve years. This shows that the Sang
are susceptible to reason. Where there is reason, there is capability for Enlightenment."
"Amen," said Miss Taisuke. She finished her tea and put down the glass. "Would you like more? Shall
I summon Rabjoms?"