Наоми Алдерман «The Power»
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Автор Наоми Алдерман

Naomi Alderman

THE POWER

For Margaret and for Graeme, who have shown me wonders

The people came to Samuel and said: Place a King over us, to guide us.

And Samuel said to them: This is what a King will do if he reigns over you: he'll take your sons and make them run with his chariots and horses. He'll dispose them however he wants: he'll make them commanders of thousands or captains of fifties, he'll send them to plough, to reap, to forge his weapons and his chariots. He'll take your daughters to make perfume for him, or cook his food or do his baking. He'll take your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves — oh, he'll take the very best of those and give them to his cronies. He'll take much more. A tenth of your grain and your wine — those will go to his favourite aristocrats and faithful servants. Your manservants and your maidservants, your best men, your donkeys — yes, he'll take those for his own use. He'll take one tenth of your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves. On that day, believe me, you will cry out for relief from this King, the King you asked for, but the Lord will not answer you on that day.

But the people would not listen to Samuel. They said: No. Give us a King over us. So that we can be like all the other nations. Give us a King to guide us and lead us into battle.

When Samuel heard what the people said, he told it to the Lord.

The Lord answered, Give them a King.

1 Samuel 8

PROLOGUE

The Men Writers Association

New Bevand Square

27th October

Dear Naomi,

I've finished the bloody book. I'm sending it to you, with all its fragments and drawings, in the hope that you'll give me some guidance or at least that I'll finally hear the echo of it as I drop the pebble of this book down the well.

You'll ask me first of all what it is.

“Not another dry volume of history” was what I promised. Four books in I realize that no general reader can be bothered to wade through endless mounds of evidence, no one cares about the technicalities of dating finds and strata comparison. I've seen audiences' eyes go blank as I try to explain my research. So what I've done here is a sort of hybrid piece, something that I hope will appeal more to ordinary people. Not quite history, not quite a novel. A sort of “novelization” of what archaeologists agree is the most plausible narrative. I've included some illustrations of archaeological finds that I hope are suggestive, but readers can — and I'm sure many will! — skip over them.

I have questions for you. Is it very shocking? Too hard to accept that anything of this sort could ever have been the case, no matter how far back in our history? Is there anything I can do to make it all seem more plausible? You know what they say about “truth” and “the appearance of truth” being opposites.

I've put in some terrifically troubling stuff about Mother Eve… but we all know how these things work! Surely no one will be too distressed… everyone claims to be an atheist now, anyway. And all the “miracles” really are explicable.

Anyway, sorry, I'll shut up now. I don't want to influence you, just read it and tell me what you think. I hope your own book's going well. I can't wait to read it, when it's ready to be seen. Thank you so much for this. I am so grateful you could spare the time.

Much love,

Neil

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