Лучшая зарубежная научная фантастика

— Теяфай — плохое место для детей.

— Согласен. Надо восстановить Тей.

— На это уйдут века.

— Нам помогут Родители Эо Таэа. У них полно времени.

Кьатай рассмеялся.

— Похоже, мне придется тебе довериться, да? Черт, я мог разнести тебя вдребезги, расщепить на атомы. А ты берешь и создаешь целую вселенную…

— А Враг? Они могут вернуться.

— Ты будешь готов встретить их, как был готов ко мне. В конце концов, я ведь по-прежнему один из них.

Поверхность огненной сферы вдруг начала расширяться более активно, а ее свет потускнел.

— Пора убираться, — сказал Кьатай.

— Да, — ответил Ога. — Возвращаемся домой.

ОГА ВЕРНУЛСЯ.

Acknowledgment is made for permission to reprint the following materials

«Turing's Apples», by Stephen Baxter. Copyright © 2008 by Stephen Baxter. First published in Eclipse Two (Night Shade), edited by Jonathan Strahan. Reprinted by permission of the author.

«From Babel's Falln Glory We Fled», by Michael Swanwick. Copyright © 2008 by Stephen Baxter. First published in Asimov's Science Fiction, February 2008. Reprinted by permission of the author.

«The Gambler», by Paolo Bacigalupi. Copyright © 2008 by Paolo Bacigalupi. First published in Fast Fomwd 2 (Pyr.), edited by Lou Anders. Reprinted by permission of the author.

«Boojum», by Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monett. Copyright © 2008 by by Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monett. First published in Fast Ships, Black Sails (Night Shade), edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer. Reprinted by permission of the authors.

«The Six Directions of Space», by Alastair Reynolds. Copyright © 2008 by Alastair Reynolds. First published in Galactic Empires (Science Fiction Book Club), edited by Gardner Dozois. Reprinted by permission of the author.

«N-Words», by Ted Kosmatka. Copyright © 2008 by Ted Kosmatka. First published in Seeds of Change (Prime), edited by J.J. Adams. Reprinted by permission of the author.

«An Eligible Boy», by Ian McDonald. Copyright © 2008 by Ian McDonald. First published in Fast Forward 2 (Pyr.), edited by Lou Anders. Reprinted by permission of the author.

«Shining Armour», by Dominic Green. Copyright © 2008 by Dominic Green. First published in The Solaris Book of Science Fiction: Volume Two (Solaris), edited by George Mann. Reprinted by permission of the author.

«The Hero», by Karl Schroeder. Copyright © 2008 by Karl Schroeder. First published in Eclipse Two (Night Shade), edited by Jonathan Strahan. Reprinted by permission of the author.

«Evil Pobot Monkey», by Mary Robinette Kowal. Copyright © 2008 by Mary Robinette Kowal. First published in The Solaris Book of Science Fiction: Volume Two (Solaris), edited by George Mann. Reprinted by permission of the author.

«Five Thrillers», by Robert Reed. Copyright © 2008 by Spilogale, Inc. First published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, April 2008. Reprinted by permission of the author.

«The Sky That Wraps the World Round, Past the Blue and Into the Black», by Jay Lake. Copyright © 2008 by Jay Lake. First published in electronically online in Clarkeworld, March 2008. Reprinted by permission of the author.

«Incomes», by Paul McAuley. Copyright © 2008 by Paul McAuley. First published in The Starry Rift (Viking), edited by Jonathan Strahan. Reprinted by permission of the author.

«Crystal Nights», by Greg Egan. Copyright © 2008 by Greg Egan. First published in Interzone, April 2008. Reprinted by permission of the author.

«The Egg Man», by Mary Rosenblum. Copyright © 2008 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov's Science Fiction, February 2008. Reprinted by permission of the author.