"Роджер Желязны. Lord of Light (Лорд Света, engl) " - читать интересную книгу автора

of dubious parentage, third generation, named Yama? The kid who was always
souping up generators, until one day one blew and he was so badly burned
that he got his second body-- one over fifty years old-- when he was only
sixteen? The kid who loved weapons? The fellow who anesthetized one of
everything that moves out there and dissected it, taking such pleasure in
his studies that we called him deathgod?"
"Yes, I recall him. Is he still alive?"
"If you want to call it that. He now is deathgod-- not by nickname,
but
by title. He perfected the probe about forty years ago, but the Deicrats
kept it under wraps until fairly recently. I hear he's dreamed up some other
little jewels, too, to serve the will of the gods . . . like a mechanical
cobra capable of registering encephalogram readings from a mile away, when
it rears and spreads its fan. It can pick one man out of a crowd, regardless
of the body he wears. There is no known antidote for its venom. Four
seconds, no more. . . . Or the fire wand, which is said to have scored the
surfaces of all three moons while Lord Agni stood upon the seashore and
waved it. And I understand that he is designing some sort of jet-propelled
juggernaut for Lord Shiva at this moment. . . things like that."
"Oh," said Sam.
"Will you pass the probe?" Jan asked.
"I'm afraid not," he replied. "Tell me, I saw a machine this morning
which I think may best be described as a pray-o-mat-- are they very common?"
"Yes," said Jan. "They appeared about two years ago-- dreamed up by
young Leonardo over a short glass of soma one night. Now that the karma idea
has caught on, the things are better than tax collectors. When mister
citizen presents himself at the clinic of the god of the church of his
choice on the eve of his sixtieth year, his prayer account is said to be
considered along with his sin account, in deciding the caste he will enter--
as well as the age, sex and health of the body he will receive. Nice. Neat."
"I will not pass the probe," said Sam, "even if I build up a mighty
prayer account. They'll snare me when it comes to sin."
"What sort of sin?"
"Sins I have yet to commit, but which are being written in my mind as I
consider them now."
"You plan to oppose the gods?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"I do not yet know. I shall begin, however, by contacting them. Who is
their chief?"
"I can name you no one. Trimurti rules-- that is, Brahma, Vishnu and
Shiva. Which of these three be chiefest at any one time, I cannot say. Some
say Brahma-- "
"Who are they-- really?" asked Sam.
Jan shook his head. "I do not know. They all wear different bodies than
they did a generation ago. They all use god names."
Sam stood. "I will return later, or send for you."
"I hope so. . . . Another drink?"
Sam shook his head. "I go to become Siddhartha once more, to break my
fast at the hostel of Hawkana and announce there my intent to visit the