"Walter Jon Williams - The Crown Jewels" - читать интересную книгу автора (Williams Walter John)

own hereditary nobility, and now they were back, counts
and barons and dukes and all the rest, and to make it even
more ridiculous, most of them turned out to be aliens.

High Custom might not be a universal, but the behavior
of aristocrats certainly is. Earth's new aristocracy proved
itself capable of grandness, enlightenment, inspired rule,
the cultivation of worthwhile art and talent. Witness the

THE CROWN JEWELS / 21

achievements of Viscount Cheng or Solomon the Incor-


file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Wa...on%20Williams%20-%20The%20Crown%20Jewels.txt (14 of 171) [10/16/2004 5:37:55 PM]
 file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Walter%20Jon%20Williams%20-%20The%20Crown%20Jewels.txt

ruptibie. The aristocrats also proved capable of brutality,
shortsightedness, dissipation, avarice, and gay folly—witness
Robert the Butcher or Mad Julius. Humanity rejoiced or
suffered under conditions created and maintained by its
new nobility; much. that was grand was contemplated,
much that was ignoble was suffered. It was all quite
predictable.

What was less predictable was the volatile mixture of
human and Khosali. Each race bore traits the other consid-
ered admirable; each found the other frustrating.

Humanity, once it got to know them. found the Khosali
high-minded but dull. The black-furred, long-nosed, square-
shouldered conquerors revered the Emperor, practiced mod-
eration, were fond of parades and military music, raised
their offspring to be courteous, well-behaved, and produc-
tive citizens. They tended toward stuffiness and fussiness
and were masters of niggling detail and Imperial regula-
tion. There was nothing really objectionable in any of
this—everyone has an uncle who behaves just that way,
and he's a fine enough fellow at heart. But you don't
invite your stuffy uncle to your good parties, now, do you?
The Khosali in general do not find irreverence amusing;

neither are they inclined to trust frivolity, irresponsibility,
freakishness, overt creativity, or individuals born with the
gift of laughter and the sense that the world is mad. They
don't trust people who whistle in public or make bawdy
jokes or get drunk at sporting events. High-minded Khosali
believe such individuals would be mightily improved by
putting their shoulders to the wheel and taking the Em-
peror Principle seriously for a change.