"Vance, Jack - Alastor 2 - Trullion-2262" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vance Jack)

risk such an end? "Never," Glinnes declared, from the depths of his soul. Jut turned to the
brooding Glay. "And you?" "I never planned to rob and kill in the first place."
Jut gave a hoarse chuckle. "One of the two, at least, has been dissuaded from crime. "Glinnes
said, "I wouldn't like to hear music played to pain." "And why not?" Shira demanded. "At hussade,
when the sheirl is smirched, the music is sweet and wild. Music gives savor to the event, like
salt with food." Glay offered a comment: "Akadie claims that everybody needs catharsis, if it's
only a nightmare."
"It may be so," said Jut. "I myself need no nightmares; I've got one before my eyes every
moment." Jut referred, as all knew, to the taking of Sharue. Since that time, his nocturnal hunts
for merling had become almost an obsession. "Well, if you two twits aren't to be starmenters,
what will you be?" asked Shira. "Assuming you don't care to stay in the household."
"I'm for hussade," said Glinnes. "I don't care to fish, nor to scrape cauch. "He recalled the
brave beige, scarlet and black ship that had struck down the starmenters. "Or perhaps I'll join
the Whelm and lead a life of adventure." "I know nothing of the Whelm," said Jut ponderously,
"but if it's hussade I can give you one or two useful hints. Run five miles every day to develop
your stamina. Jump the practice pits until you can make sure landings blindfolded. Forbear with
the girls, or there'll be no virgins left in the prefecture to be your sheirl."
"It's a chance I am willing to take," said Glinnes. Jut squinted through his black eyebrows at
Glay. "And what of you? Will you stay in the household?" Glay gave a shrug. "If I could, I'd
travel space and see the cluster." Jut raised his bushy eyebrows. "How will you travel, lacking
money?"
"There are methods, according to Akadie. He visited twenty-two worlds, working from port to
port. "Hmmf. That may be. But never use Akadie for your model. He has derived nothing from his
travels but useless erudition." Glay thought a moment. "If this is true," he said, "as it must
be, since you so assert, then Akadie learned his sympathy and breadth of intellect here on
Trullion which is all the more to his credit." Jut, who never resented honest defeat, clapped
Glay on the back. "In you he has a loyal friend." "I am grateful to Akadie," said Glay. "He has
explained many things to me."
Shira, who teemed with lewd ideas, gave Glay a sly nudge. "Follow Glinnes on his rounds, and

you'll never need Aka-die's explanations." "I'm not talking about that sort of thing." "Then
what sort of thing are you talking about?" "I don't care to explain. You'd only jeer at me, which
is tiresome." "No jeering!" declared Shira. "We'll give you a fair hearing! Say on."
"Very well. I don't really care whether you jeer or not. I've long felt a lack, or an emptiness.
I want a weight to thrust my shoulder against; I want a challenge I can defy and conquer."
"Brave words," said Shira dubiously. "But why should I so trouble myself? Because I have but one
life, one existence. I want to make my mark, somewhere, somehow. When I think of it I grow almost
frantic! My foe is the universe; it defies me to perform remarkable deeds so that ever after folk
will remember me! Why should not the name 'Glay Hulden' ring as far and clear as 'Paro' and
'Slabar Velche'?* I will make it so; it is the least I owe myself!"
Jut said in a gloomy voice, "You had best become either a great hussade player or a great
starmenter."
"I overspoke myself," said Glay. "In truth I want neither fame nor notoriety; I do not care
whether I astonish a single person. I want only the chance to do my best." There was silence on
the verandah. From the reeds camethe croak of nocturnal insects, and water lapped softly against
the dock; a merling perhaps had risen to the surface, to listen for interesting sounds.
*Paro: a hussade player, the darling of the cluster, celebrated for his aggressive and daring
play. Slabar Velche: a notorious starmenter.
Jut said in a heavy voice, "The ambition does you no discredit. Still I wonder how it would be
if everyone strove with such urgency. Where would peace abide?"