"George R. R. Martin - Manna From Heaven" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin George R R)

kilometers long and several of Tuf’s other cats roamed the deck in question, Dax would scarcely lack for
space or for companionship, but must be baffled and distraught nonetheless. The psionic tomcat had
been Tuf’s constant and inseparable companion for years, had even ridden in Tuf’s ample pockets as a
kitten. Tolly Mune felt a little sad about it.
But not too sad. Dax had been Tuf’s hole card, and she’d trumped him. She smiled and ran her fingers
through Blackjack’s thick smoke-and-silver fur, eliciting another thunderous purr. “The more things
change the more they stay the same,” she said in answer to Tuf’s comment.
“This is one of those venerable sayings that collapses upon close logical examination,” Tuf said, “being
obviously self-contradictory on the face of it. If indeed things have changed upon S’uthlam, they
obviously cannot have remained the same as well. To myself, coming as I have from a great distance, it is
the changes that seem most notable. To wit, this war, and your own elevation to First Councillor, a
considerable and unanticipated promotion.”
“And a puling awful job,” Tolly Mune said with a grimace. “I’d go back to being Portmaster in a blink, if
I could.”
“Your job satisfaction is not the subject under discussion,” Tuf said. He continued. “It must also be noted
that my welcome to S’uthlam was distinctly less cordial than on the occasion of my previous visit, much
to my chagrin, and notwithstanding the fact that I have twice placed myself squarely between S’uthlam
and mass famine, plague, cannibalism, pestilence, social collapse, and other unpleasant and inconvenient
events. Moreover, even the most venomously rude races frequently observe a certain rudimentary
etiquette toward those who are bringing them eleven million standards, which you recall is the amount of
principal remaining on my debt to the Port of S’uthlam. Ergo, I had every reason to expect a welcome of
a somewhat different nature.”
“You were wrong,” she said.
“Indeed,” Tuf said. ’“Now that I have learned that you occupy the highest political office on S’uthlam,
rather than a menial position upon a penal farm, I am frankly more mystified than ever as to why the
Planetary Defense Flotilla felt it necessary to greet me with fierce bombastic threats, dour warnings, and
exclamations of hostility.”
Tolly Mune scratched at Blackjack’s ear. “My orders, Tuf.”
Tuf folded his hands atop his stomach. “I await your explanation.”
“The more things change—” she began.
“Having already been pummeled with this cliche, I believe I grasp the small irony involved in it by now, so
there is no need for you to repeat it over and over endlessly, First Councillor Mune. If you would
proceed to the essence of the matter I would be deeply appreciative. “
She sighed. “You know our situation.”
“The broad outlines, certainly,” Tuf admitted. “S’uthlam suffers from an excess of humanity, and a paucity
of food. Twice I have performed formidable feats of ecological engineering in order to enable the
S’uthlamese to forestall the grim specter of famine. The details of your food crisis vary from year to year
but I trust that the essence of the situation remains as I have outlined it.”
“The latest projection is the worst yet.”
“Indeed,” said Tuf. “My recollection is that S’uthlam stood some one hundred nine standard years from
mass planetary famine and societal collapse, assuming that my recommendations and suggestions were
dutifully implemented.”
“They tried, damn it. They did try. The meatbeasts, the pods, the ororos, neptune’s shawl—everything’s
in place. But the changeover was only partial. Too many powerful people were unwilling to give up the
luxury foodstuffs they preferred, so there are still large tracts of agri-land devoted to raising herds of food
animals, entire farms planted with neograss and omni-grain and nanowheat—that sort of thing.
Meanwhile, the population curve has continued to rise, faster than ever, and the puling Church of Life
Evolving preaches the sanctity of life and the golden role of reproduction in humanity’s evolution to
transcendence and godhood.”
“What is the current estimate?” Tuf asked bluntly.