"Brust,.Steven.-.To.Reign.In.Hell" - читать интересную книгу автора (Brust Steven)

Beelzebub absent-mindedly lapped up wine from his bowl and
then rested his head on his forepaws. "Meseemeth," he said at
last, "that thou and thy friends have taken much upon you e'en to
think on't."

"I agree," said Satan. He shrugged. "Nothing like this has come up
before." He drained his glass. "I admit it, Beelzebub: I have
doubts. I reassured Yaweh, but his questions have worn off on
me."

Beelzebub looked up as Satan's voice rose.

"You think we can sit here asking ourselves if what we do is right,
while the Storm rages out there? Do I think so? By what right do I
argue the right and wrong of saving millions of lives? Answer me
that!" Satan gave a short laugh. "Coercion? We are the ones being
coerced. By that." He gestured vaguely southward.

"How so, milord?"

He shook his head. "Lucifer is right, as usual. We know that we risk
all of Heaven, if we do nothing. Each Wave has come nearer to
destroying us completely—Lucifer proved it with numbers,
somehow. Sooner or later, we'll have to do something." He
laughed again, bitterly. "No, I shouldn't say that the flux outside is
coercing us; what is coercing us is our own understanding. We
can't know what the problem is, and know what to do about it,
without acting. That is our curse."

Beezlebub watched him, his mind unclear but his heart filled with
pity. "Thinkest thou to have no choice at all, then?'

"The greater one's understanding, Beelzebub, the less choice one
has. For the love of Heaven itself, my friend—if you can, remain
ignorant!"

The dog lowered his head and his voice. "Then thou hast chosen,
milord? An the hosts wish not to help thy plan?"

Satan stood. His eyes flashed green fires; his cloak shone gold in
the flickering light. Two paces brought him to the buffet, where he
grasped a brown stoneware bottle. He brought it back to the table,
throwing the cork impatiently to the floor. He sloshed red-hued
liquid into his glass, unmindful of the spillage. He slammed the
bottle down, then lifted and drained the glass. He fixed Beelzebub
with his gaze.

"Then," he said icily, "it is my task to make them."