"David and Leigh Eddings - [Dreamers 04] - The Younger Gods" - читать интересную книгу автора (Eddings David)

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LCCN: 2006924819
ISBN-13: 978-0-446-53228-0
ISBN-10: 0-446-53228-2








Preface




Those of us who devote our lives to the care of Mother were greatly concerned by
her rage after the disaster of "blue fire" which had consumed so many of her
warrior children. It is the duty of the warrior children to die if it is
necessary to achieve that which Mother wants, but deaths beyond counting reduce
our numbers and weaken the overmind which guides us all. And, truly, the
weakening of the overmind lessens all of us who live but to serve our beloved
Mother.
We are told by those who came before us that Mother had been content in the nest
which shelters us all until—in times long past—the weather changed and in each
season there was less to eat than there had been in previous seasons. It had
been then that Mother had sent forth those servants we call "the seekers of
knowledge," and in time they returned and told Mother that beyond the high hills
that surround our homeland there was much to eat. And this warmed Mother's
heart. It came to her that should those who search for things to eat go beyond
the high hills and bring back much to eat, she could spawn yet more children—and
then even more—and soon our numbers would be so great that no other mothers
would dare to send their children out to fight with us for things-to-eat, since
we would destroy their children and soon they would be alone in their nests
screaming in despair.
And so it was that Mother began to alter the children which would go forth from
the nest to search for things-to-eat in the lands beyond the high hills. And
many were her alterations, for the man-things that dwelt in the lands beyond the
high hills were very clever and they used weapons that were not parts of their
bodies.
And this gave Mother great concern, for it is most unnatural for any creature to
take up things that are not parts of their bodies to use as weapons. Then it
came to Mother that if the man-things could do this, could not her children do
so as well? She sent forth more of the seekers of knowledge to find creatures
who had unusual parts of their bodies that gave them advantages in the search
for things-to-eat.
And the seekers of knowledge returned in time with much that Mother might find