"Asprin, Robert - Thieves' World 12 - Stealer's Sky" - читать интересную книгу автора (Asprin Robert)

followed the announcement.

Rather than working out the details of how to effectively police the city
in the face of this sudden loss of manpower, the meeting degenerated into
an argument as to whether or not the units in question would comply
with the Emperor's orders! Even now, there was little sign of them even
going through the motions of preparing to leave.

To a career soldier like Zaibar, this was unthinkable . . . and a far
more chilling commentary on the Emperor's fading power than any idle
street or barracks gossip. Once this door was open in his mind, countless
little observations and oddities flooded through, turning his thoughts and
speculations onto paths normally shunned.

He knew it had been some time since a tribute caravan had been sent
from Sanctuary to the capital, as there had been no call for guards for
such an expedition. Originally he had shrugged this off, thinking that
perhaps the Empire had authorized that the extra tax monies be spent on
the new construction in town. Now he wondered if the prince had simply

INTRODUCTION 397

decided to withhold the monies. If Ranke was unable to even collect
taxes . . .

This had come to a head when someone in the barracks had speculated
that the units being recalled were actually going to return as a tax-collect-
ing force. This was, of course, pooh-poohed by the other soldiers. If that
was to be the new assignment, then why not give them their instructions
while they were still here rather than having them travel all the way to
the capital?

No, every indication was that the Empire itself was in dire straits, and
in its desperation was turning its back on Sanctuary . . . cutting it
adrift while it tried to muster its strength and forces elsewhere. With the
exception of a few isolated households who were conspicuously noisy in
their loyalty and preference to all things Rankan, the Empire's influence
was all but gone from Sanctuary . . . and the recall of the troops was
simply a final, confirming gesture.

It was with no small surprise that Zaibar realized that he no longer
thought of the prince ... or himself ... as being Rankan. They had
been absorbed into the permanent structure of this strangely addicting
town. Sanctuary was their home now, and as much a part of them as they
were a part of it. Ranke was just a name, at best annoying when it
couldn't be ignored . . . and it was getting easier to ignore it.

Realizing he was dawdling with his thoughts rather than eating or
returning to duty, Zaibar rose and threw the uneaten portion of his lunch
into the water. The scraps rippled the steel-grey water which reflected the