"Monica Hughes - Devil On My Back" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hughes Monica)

"WE ARE ALL FREE HERE," said the one called Swift. "You are free to stay us, Tomi, to
share our shelter and food and learn to gather food yourself, to repair and clean—"
"That's in not Lord's work," said Tomi, drawing himself up.
"—or you are free to leave. Free to be warm if you can make a fire, or to be cold if you cannot.
Free to eat if you have the skill to snare an animal, or go hungry if you cannot. Out in the forest you are
quite free."
"Would you let me starve?"
"I would not stop you if you chose to starve yourself—though I would be very unhappy. But it
would be your choice, not mine...."


DEVIL ON MY
BACK
Monica Hughes

Copyright © 1984
ISBN 0-553-25567-3


Contents
1. Dreamland
2. The Revolt
3. The River
4. Rowan
5. The Knife
6. The Sharing
7. Welcome Back
8. Runaway
9. Stargazer's Story
10. ArcOne
11. Welcome Home?
12. The Dream Maker

1
Dreamland
Deep in the heart of ArcOne a microchip was activated. A circuit stimulated the brain of each sleeper.
The City awoke. In Apartment Ten, North Quad, Tomi Bentt opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling,
where the lights slowly strengthened to daytime intensity. What was special about today? Why did he feel
like pushing his head under the pillow and going back to sleep, even though he had had the full eight
hours of rest prescribed for his age group?
With an unpleasant flip of his stomach he remembered: Access Day. He sat up, now fully awake,
and swung his legs to the floor. In the bathroom he smeared his head and arms with depilatory cream and
stepped into the shower.
Ten minutes later, dry and oiled, his baldhead shining, his student robes in precise folds about his
shoulders, he entered the dining room. It was empty except for the family slave, who stood as mute as a
piece of furniture by the serving table.
"What's for breakfast, Seventy-Three?"
"Eggs, Young Lord, and soy toast."
 That was a good omen for the day, thought Tomi. The hens had not been laying well, something
to do with the season, though how the seasons outside the Dome could affect the laying of the hens inside