"Stephen Palmer - The Green Realm Below" - читать интересную книгу автора (Palmer Stephen)

greenhouse opened and Kytanquil was confronted by something she had never
seen before, not even in her worst nightmare.
In fact it was two beings. Standing beside an irregular lump of machinery
blackened as if by fire, yet twinkling with red indicator lamps, was a
grey-skinned human, eyes half closed, lips black, wearing a filthy robe
and ripped boots. She - or he - was bald, with a limp body and none of the
vitality Kytanquil associated with normal folk. But it was the grey skin
that made her feel sick, marked as it was with livid bruises and scars as
if from many operations. This person grasped two handles at the back of
the machine and wheeled it forwards; and the castors squeaked like
tortured rodents.
The pair stood before Kytanquil. Nervously, she addressed the grey person.
"I gather you wanted to speak with me."
Awanshyva cleared his throat, leaned towards her, and whispered, "It would
be better if you addressed your remarks to the pyuton, not the pyuton's
chauffeur."
Kytanquil stared at the lump of metal. Now it was closer, she could see
the lenses and grilles of its sense organs, and the twisted loudspeaker
that served to project its voice. Appalled, she shivered, and found
herself unable to speak.
In a buzzing voice the pyuton said, "We meet at last, Kytanquil. I have
looked forward to this meeting for some decades."
"You have?"
"Oh, yes. Your family is known to us."
Again Kytanquil shivered. "Why?"
"You are the daughter of Oq-Ziq, who was the daughter of Jizharaq and
Nijdeere-lin. The traits of your family intrigue us, as do the tales of
courage, intellect, wisdom and gall."
Kytanquil did not know what to make of this. Pyutons of course could live
for centuries. Had her family been watched for so long? "What exactly do
you want of me?"
The pyuton just carried on in its metallic voice. "It was I who ensured
that a certain bracelet was given to you at your rite of puberty. It was I
who asked Awanshyva to bring you into the Garden. You see, Kytanquil, I am
one of the six members of the Association for the Promotion of the
Chlorophyll Age. We wish to speak with the Venus Heart, that ancient
entity, half plant, half machine - so it is said - extant in the Green
Quarter. To do this we need to converse with the Slow People. To do that,
we need one brave volunteer. You, in fact."
"And if I refuse?"
"The time for refusal is now past."
Kytanquil retorted, "No it is not," and took a step back.
"Tell her, Awanshyva," said the pyuton.
Awanshyva said, "Now you have seen one of members of the Garden's secret
societies, you are bound by their rules. To refuse is to die."
"But you gave me no choice!"
"Death offers you no choice. That was why it was not necessary for me to
tell you what would happen if you refused."
Kytanquil felt she had been trapped by powers wholly out of her control.
She blustered, "You can't force me to do anything."