"Friedman,.C.S.-.Coldfire.2.-.When.True.Night.Falls" - читать интересную книгу автора (Friedman C. S)

man sought to placate his dieties, it was that blood of his own kind
that he burned on the altar. When the God of the Jews decided to
test Abraham's faith, it was the sacrifice of his own flesh and blood
that He demanded. Moses saved his people from the Angel of
Death by smearing the blood of animals on their doorposts. And
when God reached out His Hand to man with His message of
divine forgiveness, He created a Son of His Own Substance to
serve as a sacrificial offering. Sacrifice is a bridge between man
and the Infinite - and it can work for us here, Leo. In time it can end
the killings. I believe that." When Case made no response, he
added desperately, "You can't understand-"

"I understand," Case said quietly. "All too well." He gestured with
the gun. "Move away from the tram."

"You can't stop it now. The offer's been made. The sacrifice-"

"Is canceled, here and now. Move back from the tram."

For a moment Ian just stared at him; comprehension dawned at
last. "You thought I was going to kill them," he whispered hoarsely.
Incredulously. "You thought I would kill my own people-"

"What the hell was I supposed to think?" Case snapped.

"You took them from the camp. You dedicated a sacrifice, then
came at them with a knife. You tell me what conclusions to draw
from that!"

The botanist opened his hand; the knife fell beside his feet. "I was
going to cut them loose," he said. "I brought them here so they
wouldn't get hurt... Commander."

Case shook his head sharply. "You forget that we were here. We
heard you. I give you the lifeblood of Terra-"

He stopped. Stared. Through the eyes of a man, into the madness
that lay beyond.

And he knew.

He knew.

Oh, my God...

The sky to the east filled with light, with fire; he wheeled about to
face the source of it, and the sound and the force of the explosion
knocked the breath from his body as they struck. Flames were
roaring upward from a point some five miles east of them, lighting
the sky with a reflected blaze a thousand times brighter than