"John Meaney - Sanctification (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Meaney John)

was very calm as he walked in, moving majestically in rich black and
green
robes, almost gliding across the floor to the simple dais. He stepped
onto
it and knelt down upon the mat.
Two solemn boys brought him a golden goblet on a cushion. He smiled at
them as he took it and drank the contents. They backed away as he
closed
his eyes and entered the trance, his face calm and peaceful. Behind
Mark
the screen came to life, and showed the large colony ship floating in
orbit high above Wusaba, parked in black space. The picture must be
transmitted from one of the ship's own remotes, Zenshara thought. It
looked like an ornate toy. Hard to imagine that it contained a thousand
would-be colonists, eager to face the adventure of their lives,
dreading
the other possibilities. The worst outcome would be failure to move,
and
their ignominious return in drop-shuttles to the homes they had left
behind.
 Not every Saint had the talent for visualization to transport such a
huge
ship, though most did indeed use their Wish for some form of matter or
data transmission.
The archers fitted arrows to their bows. Gods forbid that they should
be
necessary. A shudder passed through Mark's body as the drug cocktail
took
hold. Beneath the monastery, vast machinery swung into action, making
huge
energies available to Mark's questing mind. Slowly, Mark was drawing
his
mind forward till it occupied the no-space between a wave-function and
its
collapse, the Buddha-nature of reality.
"I wish the ship to be at Aleph Mu." Mark's voice was startling,
resonating in the silence.
There was a delay - the verbalization was not the thought itself - and
then the screen showed empty space above the planet. The colony ship
was
gone.
The strength of Mark's wish kept a comms link open across the
light-years,
and stayed long enough for a bearded face to appear on the screen. The
ship's captain.
"We have arrived safely. The newest nation of Man will soon be born.
Our
thanks, and our prayers."
The screen went blank.
It was completely forbidden, but Zenshara reached out to hold Zhiang's