"Dave Wolverton - Siren Song at Midnight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wolverton Dave)

He wore a glorious multicolored cape of light, which contrasted with my fatherтАЩs drab attire of prison
blue, and it struck me that Se├▒or Bennett knew the effect that his dress would have, for he looked as if he
were a beautiful angel of light sent down to torture some damned soul in a tired hell.

тАЬCan I begin by asking a few questions?тАЭ Se├▒or Bennett said in flawless Spanish, using over-precise
inflections common to those who speak with the aid of a translation chip.

My father wiped sweat from his face, pulled his long hair back over his shoulder, and looked out the
window of a small cell. тАЬYou can ask,тАЭ he said.

тАЬFine,тАЭ Se├▒or Bennett said. тАЬThen letтАЩs establish your guilt. Records show that for months you fed the
Sirens. In itself, that was admirable. But what caused you to commit the sin, this crime against humanity,
of shipping them explosives?тАЭ

My father looked at the cyborg and said, тАЬI am a fantasist, a dreamer. That is my only sin: to dream and
hope.тАЭ

The cyborg smiled placatingly. тАЬHope is no sin. ItтАЩs one of the three great abiding virtues. When we die,
we take it with us to heaven.тАЭ I laughed, for I was correct in my assessment of the cyborg. He did want
to disguise himself as an angel, and he was too stupid to be subtle about it.

тАЬHope has done me no good,тАЭ my father said. тАЬYou want to establish my guilt. It has been established in
court. I masterminded the War of the SirensтАФif you can call it a war. I gave them explosives. It was not
a sin.тАЭ

тАЬSurely,тАЭ Bennett countered, тАЬyou do not expect us to believe that you acted alone in this act of
terrorism? You have no expertise in explosives. You could not have trained the Sirens.тАЭ

тАЬBelieve what you will. If I had accomplices, I will die before I reveal their names. I will die!тАЭ

тАЬYou canтАЩt protect them forever,тАЭ the cyborg affirmed. My father shrugged. Bennett asked, тАЬTell us why
you aided the murder of over two million people?тАЭ

тАЬWhen I was appointed as Director of Pacific Fisheries, I hoped to save the world,тАЭ my father said.
тАЬEver since we first raped the Sea of Cort├йs and destroyed the worldтАЩs richest oyster beds, we Latin
Americans have sold the spoils of our oceans to the highest bidder. First the oysters, then the sailfish and
tuna, dolphin and mantaтАФtill we were left with nothing but algae and plankton.тАЭ

тАЬOne moment,тАЭ Se├▒or Bennett asked. тАЬThese animals you mention, are they food animals that became
extinct?тАЭ

тАЬYes,тАЭ my father said, тАЬtemporarilyextinct food animals.тАЭ

Se├▒or Bennett smiled, тАЬI donтАЩt eat flesh, myself.тАЭ

My father roared, тАЬYou eat your own children!тАЭ Se├▒or Bennett lurched back as if my father would strike
him. My father stood and began pacing the cell. тАЬWhen I was appointed director, I thought, тАШHere I am
at last: a man who canтАЩt be corrupted by graft! I can restore the ancient fisheries, rebuild seabeds laid
waste by centuries of pollution.тАЩ Today, because of continual algae harvests, our atmosphere has
seventeen percent less oxygen than when I was born. You worry about the poor who have no