"Sarah Zettel - Kingdom of Cages" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zettel Sarah)

Commander Poulos sighed and straightened up, polishing the sapphire
thumbnail gem on her trousers seam. тАЬNo right,тАЭ she admitted. тАЬNone at
all. But you should be aware that it is not just the Authority thatтАЩs
bringing their troubles to you.тАЭ Father Mihran stared, fear and murder
both shining in his eyes.
Commander Poulos just nodded. тАЬWe already have rumors of ships on
their way here. The word is out that Pandora is clean and that itтАЩs
extraordinarily compatible with human life. NowтАЭтАФher voice grew firm
againтАФтАЬmaybe some of those ships will just dock with your Athena
Station and process their crews for potential immigration, all polite. But
some of them might not. They might just land and start setting up their
own settlements in the middle of your precious wilderness. They might
even do worse than that.тАЭ She stabbed her finger toward the settling ash
and the smoking crater. Tam swallowed. His hands were shaking.
Nothing could be worse than that. What could be worse?
The trees falling one by one, the ground stripped bare, the animals, the
birds, dead and dying. A wave of nausea washed though Tam. Oh, it
could get worse. It could get much worse. From the faces of the
councilors, he knew they were thinking the same thing. Jace was turning
green. Sick amusement accompanied fast by shame rolled through Tam.
One muscle in Father MihranтАЩs cheek twitched. тАЬAnd the Authority
would of course stop anyone from invading Pandora.тАЭ
тАЬIf we knew Pandora was doing everything possible to help put an end
to the Diversity Crisis, we just might,тАЭ replied Commander Poulos.
тАЬSoтАжтАЭ Father Mihran groped for his chair and sat down heavily. тАЬIf we
refuse, we have the choice of the Authority destroying us or the
Authority allowing us to be destroyed.тАЭ
тАЬYour people arenтАЩt the only ones who learned the lessons of the pillage
of Old Earth.тАЭ Commander Poulos touched her ring and blanked out the
image of the burned ruination. тАЬIf we donтАЩt move now, we will lose our
chance.тАЭ
Father Mihran dropped his gaze to the council. There should have been
argument. There should have been raging debate. The whole family
should have been called in. The city-mind itself should have raised its
voice.
But none of this happened. There was only silence, until Father Mihran
spoke again.
тАЬIt will take time.тАЭ
Commander Poulos inclined her head once. тАЬWe know.тАЭ
тАЬDo you?тАЭ snapped Father Mihran. тАЬI am not speaking of months. I am
speaking of years. Possibly decades.тАЭ
тАЬWe know,тАЭ the commander repeated. тАЬThat is why we are here now,
while we still have decades, perhaps even as much as a generation.тАЭ Her
face grew hard, and Tam knew she was seeing disasters that were to her
at least as horrible as the crater she had opened in the Vastness. тАЬThere
will be too much suffering, but there will be survivors. WeтАЩll be able to
start over.тАЭ
Father Mihran opened his mouth and closed it again. тАЬWhich worldтАЩs
generation are you picking for our clock, Commander?тАЭ
The small, grim smile returned. тАЬWhy, PandoraтАЩs, of course.тАЭ