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

If only it were that easy, he thought bitterly. Draw a few signs on the
ground, recite an ancient incantation or two, and behold, all
problems disappear... for a brief moment he wished that he shared
the botanist's delusion. He wondered if he, too, might not be willing
to spill a little blood, if he truly believed it would help the colony
survive. Human blood? It was a disturbing question, and not one he
wished to investigate further. God save him from ever discovering
that the shell of his morality was as thin and as fragile as that of Ian
Casca's sanity...

The botanist stirred. Slowly, breathing deeply, he raised his hands
up by his sides, and opened his eyes at last. The lamplight barely
picked out his features, but even so Case could see the
concentration that burned in his eyes, the sweat of tension that
gleamed on his brow. He began to chant, in a manner that was half
speech, half song. Case caught a few words of something that
sounded like Latin, intermingled with bits that might be Greek, then
Hebrew, then Aramaic. It was as though Ian had taken all the
ancient tongues of Earth and sifted through them for words he
needed, then mixed them indescriminately to create this custom-
made ritual. Words of power, Case thought. For one sickening
moment he wondered if Ian might not be right, if Earth's magical
traditions might not wield some true power in this extraterrestrial
forum... but a moan from beneath the blankets brought him back to
his senses, and his hand tightened about his gun. Even if it did
work, he thought grimly, it's not worth the price.

Then Ian stopped. Stared into the night. His whole body was taut,
rigid with tension. "Erna, hear me," he intoned. "I offer you this
sacrifice. I offer you the most precious thing we possess: the
lifeblood of Terra. In return I ask this: Take us in. Make us part of
you. We tried to be aliens on your soil, and your creatures
defeated us. Now make us part of this world, as those creatures
are part of it. And in return... I offer you the heartsblood of Earth.
The souls of this colony, now and forever." He shut his eyes; Case
thought that he trembled. "May it please you," he whispered. "May
you find it acceptable."

His hands dropped down to his sides once more. For a moment
he was silent; perhaps waiting for an answer? Case saw one of the
bundles on the trams begin to stir, as if trying to free itself.
Apparently so did Ian. The movement awakened him from his
seeming trance, and he began to move toward the tram and its
contents. Stepping over the line he had drawn, across the sigil-
girded circle he had so carefully created. Drawing a slender knife
from his belt as he moved.

That was enough for Case. He was on his feet in an instant, and
Lise was right behind him. While she moved to intercept the man,
to keep him from reaching the tram, he took up. a solid position at