"Debra Doyle & James MacDonald - Mageworlds 03 - By Honor Betray'd" - читать интересную книгу автора (Doyle Debra)

Jessan sighed. тАЬSmall stuff . . . space-only, no ground presence . . . I donтАЩt know anything more
specific than that. IтАЩve been out of the loop for over a year now, remember?тАЭ
тАЬThen get back into it,тАЭ she told him. тАЬI want to know whatтАЩs in port, whatтАЩs coming in, whatтАЩs
going out. This is important. Find out. IтАЩll wait.тАЭ
LeSoit was looking smug. тАЬCaptain YevilтАЩs detachment consists of one destroyer, two fast
couriers, a hyperspace-capable transport, and a half-dozen local defense single-seat fighters. Of those
six, only three are fully operational.тАЭ
The тАЩHammerтАЩs number-two gunner leaned back against the bulkhead and favored Jessan with a
bland smile. The KhesatanтАЩs lips tightened, but he didnтАЩt reply.
Beka took a deep breath and ignored the byplay. тАЬOpinions on the cost to us of taking the
captain up on her offer?тАЭ
Jessan shrugged. тАЬWe might annoy the local authorities.тАЭ
тАЬI can live with that. How about her conditions?тАЭ
тАЬNot unreasonable, considering the situation.тАЭ
She nodded. тАЬFine. Jessan, youтАЩre now officially the General of the Armies of Entibor. SheтАЩs
under your command. DonтАЩt disappoint me.тАЭ
Beka looked at her little group. тАЬWell, letтАЩs go back in there and accept the captainтАЩs oath. This
is starting to shape up into an interesting day.тАЭ

ii. galcen nearspace: sword-of-the-dawn;
suivi point: entertainment district; warhammer;
gyfferan farspace: nightтАЩs-beautiful-daughter

GRAND ADMIRAL sus-Airaalin was, reluctantly, at work in his office when the messenger
arrived. Reluctantly, because he disliked the officeтАЩs cramped space-back on Eraasi, heтАЩd worked
out-of-doors whenever he could, seeking out the high mountains and the desolate places as a defense
against spies and eavesdroppers. Now that he didnтАЩt need such measures, he found the confinement of
shipboard life oppressive. His preferred station on the SwordтАЩs observation deck gave him a view of the
stars and enough room to pace back and forth, but some of his duties as admiral could only be carried
out in the room assigned to their performance.
Correspondence, for one thing-letter after letter from the leaders of the Resurgency. They hadnтАЩt
been able to reach the Grand Admiral for several weeks by Eraasian reckoning, while the Mage-Circles
had suppressed all hyperspace communications in order to maintain secrecy for the attack on Galcen.
The gradual return of the hi-comms network, however, had put an end to the ResurgencyтАЩs silence.
He called up the first message in the morningтАЩs traffic and read it, frowning slightly.
тАЬWith regard to the possibly replicant body of Rosel Quetaya, flag aide to General Jos Metadi,
sent to us from the morgue at Prime Base Hospital: extensive testing will be necessary to determine
whether the deceased is ours or the original. syn-Tavaite has been summoned. If you could tell us by
whose agency the death occurred . . . тАЭ
sus-Airaalin sighed and switched on the autoscribe pinned to his collar. тАЬBe aware, as I believe I
told you when I sent you the body, that the Space Force authorities at Prime Base were exercising their
minds over the same question. Since General Metadi himself was not at Prime when the attack occurred,
he may well be at large in the galaxy in the company of one of our own. Please do your best to expedite
your findings in this matter.тАЭ
He clicked off the autoscribe and brought up the next item in the queue-fulsome congratulations,
this time, from sus-Ieleen syn-Arvont, who had fought sus-Airaalin and his plans for the Circles ever
since the beginning. Now, predictably, syn-Arvont was trying to curry favor. sus-Airaalin was about to
switch on the autoscribe again to dictate a response when the office door beeped at him.
тАЬCome,тАЭ he said, with relief.
The door opened and a trooper entered. тАЬMy lord sus-Airaalin,тАЭ he said, and saluted. тАЬWe have