"Alexander Kazantsev. The Destruction of Faena (ГИБЕЛЬ ФАЭНЫ, англ.)" - читать интересную книгу автора

Ave and Mada seemed to be fording a river of foam.
Mada knew the way. They came surprisingly soon to the black building of
the Temple of Eternity. Ave thought that the unfortunate Kutsi must have led
them the long way round. Poor wretch! It cost Ave an effort to restrain
himself; he did not even allow himself a sigh, but he felt sorry for the
man.
Ave despised his own habitual changes of mood. But now he was firm and
knew what had to be done. That was why he was taking Mada to Um Sat.
The Elder was astounded when he saw the newly-weds on the threshold of
his cell once again.
He gave Mada a seat in an armchair opposite the table at which he had
spent the whole night. Ave stood beside Mada.
"What's happened? Can I help you in any way?"
"There is no happiness in this world," cried Ave. "But in your power
there is another world!"
The Elder raised his eyebrows in astonishment.
"There is another world in space," explained Ave, and he told the Elder
all about what had happened.
Um Sat became thoughtful.
"So I must accept Yar Jupi's conditions and, in my turn, demand that he
send his daughter to Terr? Doesn't that seem incredible? To take refuge in
space?"
"But that would mean salvation not only for me and Ave," intervened
Mada. "It would be the fulfilment of a dream: to help the Faetians, to find
them a new world. Nanny and Mother were thinking about it. Not only Ave and
I, but all of us could be happy there. It's not just for myself that I'm
ready to fly to Terr. That's what I'm going to tell my father."
Mada understood global problems in no way more deeply than Um Sat.
"What duties as an astronaut can Mada carry out?" asked Um Sat sternly.
"I am a Sister of Health. We are needed everywhere. And not only for
the children."
"That's true," agreed Um Sat. "Ave Mar, you will stay here, no one is
going to look for your secretary. Mada must go to her chambers and lock
herself in. Ave, see your young wife as far as the Dread Wall. It's a good
thing that you both look on the trip to Terr as an exploit, not just as an
escape."


After their departure, the Elder sat for a while in reflection. Then he
summoned several sages of learning who had arrived for the session. They
filled his cell. Many of them were roundheads, but there were longfaces as
well. As they came in, each touched his right eyebrow with his left hand.
When the cell was packed full, Um Sat asked if he should fly from Faena on
the eve of possible events for which, in the name of Justice, the toilers
and their friends had been preparing for so many cycles.
After all, he was an adherent of the struggle against the proprietors
on both continents, although he had not fully fathomed its depths.
Those present decided unanimously that Um Sat, the personification and
pride of learning on Faena, should go into space to find the continents that
the Faetians needed. Many of them considered that in this way they would