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The Stars My Destination ( Tiger! Tiger! ) :: Bester Alfred
Страница: 158 из 164raider to the wreckof the 'Nomad.' As I said, this is far bigger than PyrE. I should like to discuss that matter first.»
«Everyone's been telling what they want,» Robin Wednesbury said slowly. «What do you want, Gully Foyle?»
«Thank you,» Foyle answered. «I want to be punished.»
«What?»
«I want to be purged,» he said in a suffocated voice. The stigmata began to appear on his bandaged face. «I want to pay for what I've done and settle the account. I want to get rid of this damnable cross I'm carrying . . . this ache that's cracking my spine. I want to go back to Gouffre Martel. I want a lobo, if I deserve it . . . and I know I do. I want…”
«You want escape,» Dagenham interrupted. «There's no escape.»
«I want release!»
«Out of the question,» Y'ang-Yeovil said. «There's too much of value locked up in your head to be lost by lobotomy.»
«We're beyond easy childish things like crime and punishment,» Dagenham added.
«No,» Robin objected. «There must always be sin and forgiveness. We're never beyond that.»
«Profit and loss, sin and forgiveness, idealism and realism,» Foyle smiled. «You're all so sure, so simple, so single-minded. I'm the only one in doubt. Let's see how sure you really are. You'll give up Olivia, Presteign? To me, yes? Will you give her up to the law? She's a killer.»
Presteign tried to rise, and then fell back in his chair.
«There must be forgiveness, Robin? Will you forgive Olivia Presteign? She murdered your mother and sisters.»
Robin turned ashen. Y'ang-Yeovil tried to protest.
«The Outer Satellites don't have PyrE, Yeovil. Sheffield revealed that. Would you use it on them anyway? Will you turn my name into common anathema . . .like Lynch and Boycott?»
Foyle turned to Jisbella. «Will your idealism take you back to Gouffre Mattel to serve out your sentence? And you, Dagenham, will you give her up? Let her go?»
He listened to the outcries and watched the confusion for a moment, bitter and constrained.
«Life is so simple,» he said. «This decision is so simple, isn't it? Am I to respect Presteign's property rights? The welfare of the planets? Jisbella's ideals? Dagenham's realism? Robin's conscience? Press the button and watch the robot jump. But I'm not a robot. I'm a freak of the universe . . . a thinking animal. . . and I'm trying to see my way clear through this morass.
«Everyone's been telling what they want,» Robin Wednesbury said slowly. «What do you want, Gully Foyle?»
«Thank you,» Foyle answered. «I want to be punished.»
«What?»
«I want to be purged,» he said in a suffocated voice. The stigmata began to appear on his bandaged face. «I want to pay for what I've done and settle the account. I want to get rid of this damnable cross I'm carrying . . . this ache that's cracking my spine. I want to go back to Gouffre Martel. I want a lobo, if I deserve it . . . and I know I do. I want…”
«You want escape,» Dagenham interrupted. «There's no escape.»
«I want release!»
«Out of the question,» Y'ang-Yeovil said. «There's too much of value locked up in your head to be lost by lobotomy.»
«We're beyond easy childish things like crime and punishment,» Dagenham added.
«No,» Robin objected. «There must always be sin and forgiveness. We're never beyond that.»
«Profit and loss, sin and forgiveness, idealism and realism,» Foyle smiled. «You're all so sure, so simple, so single-minded. I'm the only one in doubt. Let's see how sure you really are. You'll give up Olivia, Presteign? To me, yes? Will you give her up to the law? She's a killer.»
Presteign tried to rise, and then fell back in his chair.
«There must be forgiveness, Robin? Will you forgive Olivia Presteign? She murdered your mother and sisters.»
Robin turned ashen. Y'ang-Yeovil tried to protest.
«The Outer Satellites don't have PyrE, Yeovil. Sheffield revealed that. Would you use it on them anyway? Will you turn my name into common anathema . . .like Lynch and Boycott?»
Foyle turned to Jisbella. «Will your idealism take you back to Gouffre Mattel to serve out your sentence? And you, Dagenham, will you give her up? Let her go?»
He listened to the outcries and watched the confusion for a moment, bitter and constrained.
«Life is so simple,» he said. «This decision is so simple, isn't it? Am I to respect Presteign's property rights? The welfare of the planets? Jisbella's ideals? Dagenham's realism? Robin's conscience? Press the button and watch the robot jump. But I'm not a robot. I'm a freak of the universe . . . a thinking animal. . . and I'm trying to see my way clear through this morass.