"Asprin, Robert - Thieves' World 09 - Blood Ties" - читать интересную книгу автора (Asprin Robert)

STORMBRINGER, Primal stormgodlwargod. The pattern for all other such gods, he is
not, himself, the object of organized worship.

JIHAN, Froth Daughter. His parthenogenic offspring, betrothed to the Stepson's
mage, Randal.


The Beysib

SHUPANSEA; SHU-SEA, Head of the Beysib exiles in Sanctuary; mortal avatar of the
Beysib mother goddess.



INTRODUCTION

Robert Lynn Asprin

For the first time in over a decade, Hakiem found himself seriously considering
leaving his adopted home of Sanctuary.

Leaning out a window on one of the upper levels of the palace, he surveyed the
town below as he thought-yet even this depressed him. He had always enjoyed
walking the streets, first as a storyteller and later as advisor to the Beysib
Empress. The town had always had a rough vibrancy, like the rich organic smell
of a swamp, and he drank it in along with the rumors to assure himself of the
city's survival. Now, however, he found that he rarely ventured down to the
streets to savor it.

Not that he was afraid for his safety, mind you. Whether it was due to his long
standing membership in the community, his well known neutrality and
harmlessness, deference to his position as the Beysa's advisor, or a combination
of all of these factors, his passage through town was never challenged. Rather,
he often hid within the palace shadows and corridors to spare himself the
heartache of witnessing what was happening to his beloved Sanctuary.

The spirit of the town he knew had been born of parents named Poverty and
Desperation. While he had cursed the crime and filth along with the rest of the
citizens, there had also been a secret pride in the inherent toughness of
Sanctuary's inhabitants. Like the scrappy optimism of a bright-eyed gutter
predator, there had been a certainty that the town would survive regardless of
whatever hardships fate or the Rankan Empire could throw at it. Small moments of
tenderness or self-sacrificing heroics shone all the brighter here, as uncon
testable evidence of the strength of the human spirit.

Then two changes occurred almost simultaneously: the Beysib arrived and Ranke's
Stormgod had either died or retreated into oblivion.

As Sanctuary's fortunes literally rose through the influx of Beysib wealth, the