"Michael Stackpole "I, Jedi"" - читать интересную книгу автора

Gantoris' purple blade came down in an overhand strike that burned its way through the underbrush. I heard a startled squeal, then an orange furred runyip broke from the brush, darting into the clearing right behind Gantoris. As he turned to face this new threat, his lightsaber flew up out of his hands and the blade died.
Luke plucked the lightsaber from the air, then extinguished his own blade. The two of them stood there, facing each other. Sweat streamed down their faces and their breath came ragged, vet neither one wanted to show any sign of weakness. In the absence of the lightsaber hissing, the fading sounds of the run-yip's squeals and the normal sound of the rainforest fought for supremacy.
Then Luke did something that stunned me. He flipped Gantoris' lightsaber around and extended it to him hilt first. Gantoris accepted it timidly, clutching it in both hands. He studied it, turning it over and around as if seeing it for the first time, then he looked back at Luke.
The Jedi Master nodded. УGood exercise, Gantoris, but you must learn to control your anger. It could be your undoing.Ф
I dropped to my knees in utter astonishment. I watched Gantoris turn away and retreat into the rainforest. The other apprentices seemed as surprised at what had happened as I was. They whispered together in little knots as Luke emerged from the undergrowth, clipped his lightsaber to his belt, and pulled his cloak back on.
He looked around calmly and even gave us the hint of a smile. УPerhaps, after last evening, we started too early today. We will reconvene this afternoon.Ф In his words I felt a gentle urging to go back to my room, but I resisted it. The others did not and melted away unseen into the rainforest.
Luke glanced back at me, a half-smile on his face. УI thought w)u would still be here. You did not see the beginning?Ф
I shook my head. УThe ending was more than enough. What are you going to do?Ф
УDo? This is done already.Ф
My jaw dropped open. УUnless I missed something, one of your apprentices found or somehow constructed a lightsaber and just tried to kill you with it. You don't see this as cause for alarm?Ф
УHow can it surprise you that Gantoris has found a way to fashion a lightsaber? You and Kam already possess one. We've talked about Gantoris' competition with you.Ф
I held my hands up. УThat may be an issue, but not the core one as I see it.Ф
Luke's eyes narrowed. УSo your vision here is paramount.Ф I hesitated and felt my stomach collapse in on itself. УNo, Master Skywalker, it is not. I mean no disrespect.Ф I sighed. УI just want to understand. Gantoris has gotten into something he shouldn't have. You have to discipline him.Ф
УHe's going to be a Jedi Knight. I cannot treat him like a child.Ф Luke shook his head. УTo do that would stunt his devel-opment. He's very good and one of the best students here. He just needs guidance.Ф
УThen give it to him.Ф My hands convulsed into fists, then I forced them open again. УYou're assuming that he will see the error of his ways and never do this again. He attacked you! He's already shown he's not scanning right and wrong correctly. He can't begin to figure out where the line between them runs if you don't find a way to punish him when he crosses that line.Ф
The Master shook his head slowly. УI can tell you that Gantoris already regrets what he has done here. Stretch out with your feelings. You'll feel it, too. He is teaching himself where the line is and how to stay on the light side of it.Ф
I did as I was bidden and did sense both remorse and confu-sion from Gantoris. УYou are right, Master. I know you believe in redemption. What you say about Gantoris is true. I guess I don't see why he should not be punished for having done some-thing wrong.Ф
УYou're not supposed to see it, Keiran, you're supposed to feel it.Ф Luke rubbed a hand against his forehead. УRetribution leads to the dark side.Ф
I sighed. УI know. I would argue that a little punishment now could prevent a disaster later, but I don't think that will get me anywhere.Ф
УYou see, Keiran, you grow in wisdom as well as the Force.Ф I didn't want to laugh, but his comment was funny. Still, coming from someone my age, it also rankled a bit. Luke obvi-ously deserved the title Jedi Master, but part of me wished we weren't the group on which he first practiced being a teacher. He clearly had his ideas about how we should learn, and we were all making progress. Some faster than others.
Even so, I wasn't used to his methods. I flashed on Iella's heart and mind split and knew it was a key to my problem. УI shall think further on my ignorance, Master, that I may see how nluch wisdom I yet need to learn. If you would permit it, though, I want to ask you a question.Ф --Please.Ф
I scratched at the back of my neck. УWhat did you ask Gantoris and what did he shout at you before he cut down the tree'?Ф
УI asked how he had learned what he needed to know to make a lightsaber.Ф Luke shifted his shoulders stiffly. УHe re-plied that I was not the only teacher of the Jedi way.Ф
УNot a very good answer. Do you think he would have gotten the knowledge from the Holocron?Ф
УI can't see how. The Holocron detects a student's ability and holds back things they are not prepared to know.Ф He smiled carefully. УIt works so well, in fact, that I do not know if there arc things there that I have yet to learn.Ф
УIf not from Bodo Baas, then from whom did he learn?Ф I frowned. УI couldn't teach it to him. I don't think Kam would and you, I take it, have not. Who did?Ф
Luke remained very still for a moment, then slowly shook his head. УI don't know.Ф
УBut it would have to be a Jedi, or someone with the knowl-edge of the Jedi ways and, presumably, considerable power in the Force.Ф
УI think so, yes.Ф
УAnd yet, last night, when we were all so open to the Force that we were able to catalog stars, we didn't feel the presence of such an individual right here?Ф
Luke's eyes became sapphire slits. УNo.Ф
I shivered, and it wasn't because I was soaked in sweat.
УDoes that worry you as much as it does me?Ф
УMore, I think, Keiran.Ф Luke's cloak rippled with a shudder.
УMuch more.Ф
Running down the hallway toward Gantoris' room I caught a whiff of the poisonously sweet scent I'd smelled a couple of times before during my days with CorSec. I didn't want to look inside the room be-cause I knew what I would see. The knot of students at the doorway shielded me from the sight, but did nothing to block the scent.
I heard Master Skywalker say, УBeware the dark side,Ф then a greasy thread of smoke twisted through the apprentices, driv-ing them apart. Several turned away and stumbled down the corridor with hands over their mouths. Streen and Kam Solusar hung on either side of the doorway, ashen-faced and staring inside. I slipped between them, raising the neck of my tunic to cover my nose. They turned away, leaving me alone with Luke and what was left of Gantoris.
Gantoris' body lay near the far wall of his small stone cham-ber-at least I assumed it was Gantoris because it did not much look like him. He had been burned to death. Carbonized flesh had crumbled to ash at some points, revealing blackened bone. The heat had contracted his muscles, arching his spine and pulling his head back. His mouth remained open in a wordless scream. Smoke still rose from the charred remnants of his Jedi robes, and his lightsaber had rolled over to rest against the wall itself.
Luke Skywalker stood over him, staring down at his black-ened remains.
УWhat happened here? Did he attack you again?Ф
Luke turned to look at me with haunted, red-rimmed eyes and I could tell this wasn't the first time he'd seen a body in this condition. УDo you think I did this?Ф The pain in his voice knifed right through me.
УI wasn't accusing you. I just want to know what happened.Ф I crouched by the body. УOccupational hazard. Who found him?Ф
УDorsk 81 came for me, so I suppose he did. The others gathered after we got here.Ф
I nodded. УI'11 want to talk to them.Ф
Luke blinked away some of the shock in his eyes. УYou are going to investigate this situation?Ф
My head came up. УShouldn't I?Ф
The Jedi Master hesitated for a moment, then nodded. УYes, of course you should. We need to know what happened here.Ф
УRight.Ф I pointed toward the body and circled my finger around the general area. УI can give you some basics right now. The lack of a consistent pattern of charring, as well as the absence of a chemical scent, suggests no accelerant was used. In other words, no one poured something flammable over him and turned him into a torch.Ф
Luke winced at that description. УI see.Ф
УTake a look at the fingers and ears.Ф