"Ian Watson & Roberto Quaglia - The Mass Extinction of My Beloved" - читать интересную книгу автора (Watson Ian)

Two days later I said to Brigitte, "In fact, if an extinction is inevitable, the doomed species ought to be
honoured and celebrated. The best way for human beings to celebrate is to participate in the extinction,
to make sure it happens dramatically rather than in a feeble way, out of sight. There should be extinction
parties. Rich people will pay a lot to take part. This will raise more funds."
"Yes, yes!" she exclaimed.

"It's very sad to be the last member of a species, or the last few members. So this would be
compassionate extermination. In fact," I said, "the WWF could forbid species to go extinct — make it
illegal. If a species persists in going extinct, it will be put on trial. If found guilty, there can be a hunt to
execute the last members of the species for violating the law by carrying out unauthorized self-extinction."

"Oh yes!"



I was giving the Brigitte of San Marino a whole new inspiring vision, or series of visions, which was
addicting her to me. At the same time I was very addicted to her. Like a drug addict I must pay more
and more (by way of imagination) to keep my supply of ecstasy secure. But my imagination — or
Niccoló's genetic contribution — did not fail me.

"It'll be a status symbol," I said, "to wear a mark of extinction, a special tie or bracelet. It says you have
participated in, or attended, an extinction. But there's more. Extinctions can be sponsored by
MacDonald's or Marlboro. Global mega-corporations will compete. That'll bring in a lot of money."

It was my turn to exclaim yes for a long while, such was Brigitte's gratitude to me.

I had thought that Brigitte was communicating all these new ideas to WWF headquarters in Geneva by
e-mail. But no. The ideas were communicated to her clone-sisters by morphic resonance, which is the
tendency of beings who are very similar to pick up and incorporate a powerful new concept which one of
the beings has. A chimpanzee would discover how to unfasten a cage door, and suddenly chimpanzees
everywhere were escaping.

Brigitte wasn't merely similar — she was identical to her sisters. So the other 499 Bardot clones were all
on my Brigitte's wavelength, akin to telepathically. Soon they were taking action militantly, with all the
power of the World Wildlife Fund. The Bardot based in Switzerland was particularly active in lobbying
the World Court. Because of the iconic power and sexiness of a Brigitte Bardot, any paltry misgivings or
doubts on the part of the current director of the WWF were swept aside. He resigned, and the Swiss
Bardot became head of the WWF.

Sudden changes of faith — even mass conversions — are part of human nature if a Big New Idea arises.
Look at Nazi Germany, a civilized nation one moment, historically speaking, and a fanatical exterminator
of entire races the next moment. Look at China's Great Leap Backwards and its Anti-Cultural
Revolution. Look at the fashion for hula-hoops.

My next inspiration — and therefore my Beloved's, and that of her 499 sisters — was to copyright the
extinction of species, to control video rights.

What with extinction copyright and corporate sponsorship and high society extermination parties and
hunts subsequent to criminal prosecutions, before long the WWF was vigorously spearheading the