Shikasta. Doris Lessing
Чтение книги онлайн.
Читать онлайн книгу Shikasta - Doris Lessing страница 31
Название: Shikasta
Автор: Doris Lessing
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Сказки
isbn: 9780007455539
isbn:
The psychological condition of the rescued strain was pitiable. It was necessary to make a ‘pact’ with them that this visitation of the Gods would not occur again. For their part, they must understand that the deluge was because of their falling away into wickedness and evil practices. They must always be ready to listen to instructions from us, their friends. These instructions would come, when necessary.
When the earth dried, they were told to return to their previous territories. They must live soberly, moderately, without oppressing each other, and as custodians of the animals, whom they must not harm and oppress. They might make animal sacrifices to the Gods, but not human sacrifices, and this must be done without cruelty to the animals. (It was unfortunately necessary to allow this: the Shammat perversion is too strong.) I left them with various artefacts, as instructed. I told them that these were to strengthen the bond between them and ‘somewhere else’.
I end this report with a personal request. If it is considered not unreasonable, I would prefer not to be assigned to Shikasta again.
ENVOY 159, TAUFIQ, reports:
Since my last visit, twenty-one cities have been established in the old flood areas. Five are large, with populations of a quarter of a million or more. Trade flourishes between the cities and as far as the eastern areas of the main landmass, its Northwest fringes, the northern parts of Southern Continent I, the Isolated Northern Continent.
The living is luxurious, wasteful, higher purposes forgotten, except for a few.
There has been racial mixing with the results of experiments from both southern continents. The merits, demerits, and general peculiarities of these crosses are analysed in the accompanying Report by the Mission of Population Analysts, Envoys 153, 154, 155.
The worst of the adverse factors is that there have been matings with Shammat stock, as a deliberate policy by Shammat to counteract our improvements as a result of genetic boosts before the inundation.
Shammat is not only constantly at work persuading Shikasta into the ways of Shammat, but is now informing these unfortunates that Shikasta is being defrauded by ‘the Gods’, who exploit them, of their rightful heritage, and that if certain practices are followed, the Shikastans will become ‘as Gods’.
This is now a popular belief everywhere. Revolts against us are being planned. These will take the form of mass attempts to ‘transcend’ themselves, by means suggested through Shammat spies. They congregate together for ‘higher practices’ – the vibrations of which are channelled off to Shammat. They perform mass slaughter of animals, as a ritual. They also practise spurious versions of the Art of the Stones, suggested by Shammat.
I support the recommendation of 153, 154, 155 to disrupt their speech centres.
Representatives from every region of Shikasta known to them are to gather in the Areas of the Cities to confer about ways to ‘become Gods’. Unknown to them, Shammat will preside.
ENVOY 160, TAUFIQ, reports:
The urgency of the situation again necessitated use of spacecraft. All six of us attended the conference, purporting to be delegates from the extreme Northwest fringes. As there were so many different types present, there were no difficulties. The recommended techniques were effective. As a result their communication systems malfunctioned, and eight main languages are now established on Shikasta. These will develop into hundreds, then thousands of languages and dialects because of the Shikastan Law of inevitable division, subdivision.
I again apply for transfer from Shikastan service into any other branch of the Colonial Service.
ENVOY 192, TAUFIQ, reports:
As a result of reports from our local agents that the Areas of the Cities are currently unsuitable for our purposes, investigations have been made into the Northwest fringes and the Extreme-east fringes. The Northwest fringes are sparsely populated due to the harshness of conditions and the impoverished landscape after the time of the ice. We established a few local agents to create and maintain enough stone patterns to keep our current stabilized. Similarly, in the Extreme east. But there climatic conditions are good and the soil rich, and the population increasing. We have built there a few small towns to Canopean pattern, chosen inhabitants of a suitable type to live in them, and placed stone and tree patterns in appropriate areas.
I visited the Areas of the Cities myself, and confirm that Shammat influence is so strong nothing can be expected there. I investigated in depth three of the cities and found not more than a hundred individuals who could respond in any way to Canopean vibrancies.
Your envoy points out – as have former ambassadors – that races which receive genetic prods, while on the one hand being strengthened towards usefulness and Canopus-contact, on the other are more prone than the average to become corrupted.
Nevertheless, since the contacts we have established in the Northwest fringe areas and the Extreme-east fringes will fall away from contact in 950 (their) years from now, it is recommended that further genetic addition be attempted on suitable candidates of Areas of the Cities in about four hundred years. This will allow time for the development of a new strengthened strain, but not enough time for this strain to be corrupted by Shammat. This is of course our usual optimistic forecast. I draw this comment to the attention of eugenists. ENVOYS 276 and 277, TAUFIQ and JOHOR, report: (Joint Mission.)
TAUFIQ:
I visited the Northwest fringes. Our staff, who set up the Stones, and instructed locals in the Art of the Stones, have all left, most to Planet 35, as instructed. A few went to the Areas of the Cities to instruct suitable candidates in maintaining contact.
In the Northwest fringes is a stable but sparse population of indigenous stock. They practise agriculture and herd-keeping, neither on a high level. Our staff decided against advanced-level instruction as this has so often in the past led to the opposite of what was intended: extremes of accumulation and the oppression of others. (See later remarks about the Extreme-east fringes.) The basic unit is the tribe. It is still a meagre and unaccommodating landscape. These are very hardy people. Limited mating took place between them and our staff: unprogrammed. Their women are attractive, in a robust way. The progeny may be expected to improve the stock unpredictably. The indigenous people are small, dark-haired, wiry. The introduced genes tend towards tall, extremely fair-skinned blue-eyed or grey-eyed types. (Planet 14.)
I visited the territories of the Extreme east. The accumulator villages have been abandoned, on instruction. They will soon be derelict. A few individuals were secretly visiting these sites for ‘sacred purposes’, history repeating itself. They have been warned. Our resident envoy has attempted threats and promises. These practices had already resulted in a deteriorating of the mentality. These remarks apply to the areas immediately adjacent to the accumulator villages.
Otherwise this is a vast civilization already advanced to level G. It is growing, and constantly taking in territory, including the Southeast fringe islands. There is a stable and effective agriculture. The cities are very much more than trade centres. There is an extensive ruling class, previously efficient and devoted to duty, now luxury-loving and effete. The entire civilization is shortly to be overrun by a vigorous, more primitive culture from the north, the northwest, and the desert lands where there is no trace at all of our old Mathematical Cities, nor the more recent cities that flourished before the ice. The effete culture will therefore СКАЧАТЬ