[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
'OK, the goddamn asteroid the Changers live in. I know it's in Idiran space,
but - '
'That's got nothing to do with it, Balveda. I'm fighting for them because I
think they're right and you're wrong.'
Balveda sat back, amazed. 'You . . . ' she began, then lowered her head and
shook it, staring at the floor. She looked up. 'I really don't understand you,
Horza. You must know how many species, how many civilisations, how many
systems, how many individuals have been either destroyed or . . . throttled by
the Idirans and their crazy goddamned religion. What the hell has the
Culture ever done compared to that?' One hand was on her knee, the other was
displayed in front of
Horza, clawed into a strangling grip. He watched her and smiled.
'On a straight head count the Idirans no doubt do come out in front,
Perosteck, and I've told
file:///F|/rah/Iain%20Banks/Banks,%20Iain%20-%20Consider%20Phelbas.txt (11 of
206) [2/4/03 10:24:37 PM]
file:///F|/rah/Iain%20Banks/Banks,%20Iain%20-%20Consider%20Phelbas.txt them I
never did care for some of their methods, or their zeal. I'm all for people
being allowed to live their own lives. But now they're up against you lot, and
that's what makes the difference to me. Because I'm against you, rather than
for them, I'm prepared - ' Horza broke off for a moment, laughing lightly,
self-consciously. ' . . . Well, it sounds a bit melodramatic, but sure -
I'm prepared to die for them.' He shrugged. 'Simple as that.'
Horza nodded as he said it, and Balveda dropped the outstretched hand and
looked away to one side, shaking her head and exhaling loudly. Horza went on,
Page 14
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
'Because . . . well, I suppose you thought I was just kidding when I was
telling old Frolk I thought the knife missile was the real representative. I
wasn't kidding, Balveda. I meant it then and I mean it now. I don't care how
self-righteous the Culture feels, or how many people the Idirans kill. They're
on the side of life
- boring, old-fashioned, biological life; smelly, fallible and short-sighted,
God knows, but real life. You're ruled by your machines. You're an
evolutionary dead end. The trouble is that to take your mind off it you try to
drag everybody else down there with you. The worst thing that could happen to
the galaxy would be if the Culture wins this war.'
He paused to let her say something, but she was still sitting with her head
down, shaking it.
He laughed at her. 'You know, Balveda, for such a sensitive species you show
remarkably little empathy at times.'
'Empathise with stupidity and you're halfway to thinking like an idiot,'
muttered the woman, still not looking at Horza. He laughed again and got to
his feet.
'Such . . . bitterness, Balveda,' he said.
She looked up at him. 'I'll tell you, Horza,' she said quietly, 'we're going
to win.'
He shook his head. 'I don't think so. You wouldn't know how to.'
Balveda sat back again, hands spread behind her. Her face was serious. 'We can
learn, Horza.'
'Who from?'
'Whoever has the lesson there to teach,' she said slowly. 'We spend quite a
lot of our time watching warriors and zealots, bullies and militarists -
people determined to win regardless.
There's no shortage of teachers.'
'If you want to know about winning, ask the Idirans.'
Balveda said nothing for a moment. Her face was calm, thoughtful, perhaps sad.
She nodded after a while. 'They do say there's a danger . . . in warfare,' she
said, 'that you'll start to resemble the enemy.' She shrugged. 'We just have
to hope that we can avoid that. If the evolutionary force you seem to believe
in really works, then it'll work through us, and not the
Idirans. If you're wrong, then it deserves to be superseded.'
'Balveda,' he said, laughing lightly, 'don't disappoint me. I prefer a fight .
. . You almost sound as though you're coming round to my point of view.'
'No,' she sighed. 'I'm not. Blame it on my Special Circumstances training. We
try to think of everything. I was being pessimistic.'
'I'd got the impression SC didn't allow such thoughts.'
'Then think again, Mr Changer,' Balveda said, arching one eyebrow. 'SC allows
all thoughts.
That's what some people find so frightening about it.'
Horza thought he knew what the woman meant. Special Circumstances had always
been the Contact section's moral espionage weapon, the very cutting edge of [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
'OK, the goddamn asteroid the Changers live in. I know it's in Idiran space,
but - '
'That's got nothing to do with it, Balveda. I'm fighting for them because I
think they're right and you're wrong.'
Balveda sat back, amazed. 'You . . . ' she began, then lowered her head and
shook it, staring at the floor. She looked up. 'I really don't understand you,
Horza. You must know how many species, how many civilisations, how many
systems, how many individuals have been either destroyed or . . . throttled by
the Idirans and their crazy goddamned religion. What the hell has the
Culture ever done compared to that?' One hand was on her knee, the other was
displayed in front of
Horza, clawed into a strangling grip. He watched her and smiled.
'On a straight head count the Idirans no doubt do come out in front,
Perosteck, and I've told
file:///F|/rah/Iain%20Banks/Banks,%20Iain%20-%20Consider%20Phelbas.txt (11 of
206) [2/4/03 10:24:37 PM]
file:///F|/rah/Iain%20Banks/Banks,%20Iain%20-%20Consider%20Phelbas.txt them I
never did care for some of their methods, or their zeal. I'm all for people
being allowed to live their own lives. But now they're up against you lot, and
that's what makes the difference to me. Because I'm against you, rather than
for them, I'm prepared - ' Horza broke off for a moment, laughing lightly,
self-consciously. ' . . . Well, it sounds a bit melodramatic, but sure -
I'm prepared to die for them.' He shrugged. 'Simple as that.'
Horza nodded as he said it, and Balveda dropped the outstretched hand and
looked away to one side, shaking her head and exhaling loudly. Horza went on,
Page 14
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
'Because . . . well, I suppose you thought I was just kidding when I was
telling old Frolk I thought the knife missile was the real representative. I
wasn't kidding, Balveda. I meant it then and I mean it now. I don't care how
self-righteous the Culture feels, or how many people the Idirans kill. They're
on the side of life
- boring, old-fashioned, biological life; smelly, fallible and short-sighted,
God knows, but real life. You're ruled by your machines. You're an
evolutionary dead end. The trouble is that to take your mind off it you try to
drag everybody else down there with you. The worst thing that could happen to
the galaxy would be if the Culture wins this war.'
He paused to let her say something, but she was still sitting with her head
down, shaking it.
He laughed at her. 'You know, Balveda, for such a sensitive species you show
remarkably little empathy at times.'
'Empathise with stupidity and you're halfway to thinking like an idiot,'
muttered the woman, still not looking at Horza. He laughed again and got to
his feet.
'Such . . . bitterness, Balveda,' he said.
She looked up at him. 'I'll tell you, Horza,' she said quietly, 'we're going
to win.'
He shook his head. 'I don't think so. You wouldn't know how to.'
Balveda sat back again, hands spread behind her. Her face was serious. 'We can
learn, Horza.'
'Who from?'
'Whoever has the lesson there to teach,' she said slowly. 'We spend quite a
lot of our time watching warriors and zealots, bullies and militarists -
people determined to win regardless.
There's no shortage of teachers.'
'If you want to know about winning, ask the Idirans.'
Balveda said nothing for a moment. Her face was calm, thoughtful, perhaps sad.
She nodded after a while. 'They do say there's a danger . . . in warfare,' she
said, 'that you'll start to resemble the enemy.' She shrugged. 'We just have
to hope that we can avoid that. If the evolutionary force you seem to believe
in really works, then it'll work through us, and not the
Idirans. If you're wrong, then it deserves to be superseded.'
'Balveda,' he said, laughing lightly, 'don't disappoint me. I prefer a fight .
. . You almost sound as though you're coming round to my point of view.'
'No,' she sighed. 'I'm not. Blame it on my Special Circumstances training. We
try to think of everything. I was being pessimistic.'
'I'd got the impression SC didn't allow such thoughts.'
'Then think again, Mr Changer,' Balveda said, arching one eyebrow. 'SC allows
all thoughts.
That's what some people find so frightening about it.'
Horza thought he knew what the woman meant. Special Circumstances had always
been the Contact section's moral espionage weapon, the very cutting edge of [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]