"Charles Stross - Duat" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stross Charles)

"These are the western lands, the domain that lies beyond the cavern of the setting sun,
guarded by the sphinx Aker. I am Anubis, the weigher of souls. I bid you welcome, for I
am your destiny and your judge. We must speak. There is much that you should be aware
of."

"You're -- what?" Another dried-out corpse hung between pillars to her right. Oshi
focussed on the throne, zooming her eyeballs through a full-spectrum scan. Near panic
added a jittery tension to her stance: she felt simultaneously present and absent, as if she
was at full readiness but someone else was driving her body. "Do you know what I am?"
Nameless fears hung in the balance of her mind as she took another step. Anubis was a
huge presence looming above her. The stink of his breath pulsed in a hot miasma, driven
towards her on a breeze from behind the thrones. Now she was close she saw what the
weighing pans held; in one, a long white feather, and in the other, some dried-out red
offal.

"Yes. I know what you are," said the dog-head. It yawned, baring canines the size of
knives. Lucent black pupils the size of hand grenades focussed in on her, outlined by a
tiny rind of sclera. Saliva dribbled from one side of its grin. "You are a dead soul,
despatched to me that I might weigh you in the balance! But come, we have much to
discuss first. You are unlike the others in my domain. How do you explain this?"

Oshi paused just beyond arm's reach: "you're a Superbright download," she stated. "Your
purpose is to supervise the robot installations in this system. What's going on? Why
haven't you reported recently?"

Anubis grinned and slavered, panting like a dog. "I know nothing of this super-bright you
speak of," he grated. "I am Anubis and this is the Duat. I await only the coming of the
Great One, blessed be he, who approaches from the distance: I fulfill my duties in the
meantime. Indeed, it is to his presence that you owe your incarnation: were he not shortly
to arrive, I would have left you in limbo a little longer. Who are you to demand anything
of me?"

"But the --" Oshi stopped. Thinking: no wisdom. That means no Dreamtime upload if I
die. But why? Suppose something's soaking up all the bandwidth available to the colony.
Something like a Superbright-- "I have a message for you," she said. "A message from the
Boss."

Anubis yawned. His jaws snapped shut with a clack and he leaned forward, ears
swivelling to focus on Oshi. "It is of no importance. This is my domain, and within it I


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2: In the Duat

reign supreme. I discharge my holy duties, and none will divert me from them. Will you
be judged now, errant soul, or will you maintain this pretense of life indefinitely?"

Oshi stared. He's stark raving mad! Now what do I do? "If it's all very well --" she eyed
the balance warily -- "I'd rather carry on pretending to be alive."