"Baxter, Stephen - Manifold 03 - Origin" - читать интересную книгу автора (Baxter Stephen)

The other new people are screaming.

Fire had forgotten them. He straightens up. He has a chunk of flesh in his
mouth. His teeth gnaw at it, while his hands pull on it. The new people's legs
are trying to run away. But the new people fall easily, as if they are weak or
sick.

Grass and Cold catch the new people. They push them to Stone. One of the new
people is bleeding from her head and staggering. Its arms are clutching the
small one. When it screams its voice is high. It is a woman.

The other new person has no small one. It has blue skin all over its body. 'We
don't mean you any harm. Please. My name is Emma Stoney.' Its voice is high. It
is a woman.

Shoot's hand grabs the hair of this one, pulls her head back.

The new woman's elbow rams into Shoot's belly. 'Get your hands off of me!' Shoot
doubles over, gasping.

The men laugh at the women fighting.

The woman with the child speaks to Stone. 'Please. We're American citizens. My
name is Sally Mayer. I - my husband... I know you can speak English. We heard
you. Look, we can pay. American dollars.' She holds out something green.
Handfuls of leaves. Not leaves. Her arm is bleeding, he sees.

I. You. That is what Fire hears.

The woman has fallen silent. Her eyes are staring at the top of Stone's head.
Her mouth is open.

The top of the woman's head is swollen.

Fire makes his hand run over his own brow. He feels thick eye ridges. He feels a
sloping brow. He feels the small flat crown behind his brow. His fingers find a
fly trapped in his greasy hair. He pulls it out. He pops it into his mouth.

Stone studies the new woman. Stone's fingers squeeze the woman's dug. It is
large and soft, under its skin of green and brown. The woman yelps and backs
away. The child, eyes wide, cringes from Stone's bloody hand.

Fire laughs. Stone will mount the woman. Stone will eat the woman.

The other new woman steps forward. Her hands pull the other woman behind her.
'We are like you. Look! We are people. We are not meat.' She points to the
child.

The child has no hair on his face. The child has wide round eyes. The child has
a nose.