Я, Робот
The Evitable Conflict
TheboundariesofNgoma’sTropicRegionwerestencilledindark,widebrownandsweptaboutagorgeousinteriorlabelled"jungle"and"desert"and"herebeElephantsandallMannerofStrangeBeasts."
Ithadmuchtosweep,forinlandareatheTropicRegionenclosedmostoftwocontinents:allofSouthAmericanorthofArgentinaandallofAfricasouthoftheAtlas.ItincludedNorthAmericasouthoftheRioGrandeaswell,andevenArabiaandIraninAsia.ItwasthereverseoftheEasternRegion.WheretheanthivesoftheOrientcrowdedhalfofhumanityinto15percentofthelandmass,theTropicsstretchedits15percentofHumanityovernearlyhalfofallthelandintheworld.
Butitwasgrowing.ItwastheoneRegionwhosepopulationincreasethroughimmigrationexceededthatthroughbirths.-Andforallwhocameithaduse.
ToNgoma,StephenByerleyseemedlikeoneoftheseimmigrants,apalesearcherforthecreativeworkofcarvingaharshenvironmentintothesoftnessnecessaryforman,andhefeltsomeofthatautomaticcontemptofthestrongmanborntothestrongTropicsfortheunfortunatepallardsofthecoldersuns.
TheTropicshadthenewestcapitalcityonEarth,anditwascalledsimplythat:"CapitalCity,"inthesublimeconfidenceofyouth.ItspreadbrightlyoverthefertileuplandsofNigeriaandoutsideNgoma’swindows,farbelow,waslifeandcolor;thebright,brightsunandthequick,drenchingshowers.Eventhesquawkingoftherainbowedbirdswasbriskandthestarswerehardpinpointsinthesharpnight.
Ngomalaughed.
