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

that time, as the one-eyed and slightly homicidal starpilot Tarnekep Portree, but the line between her
proper and her alternate personae had never been very thick.
тАЬIf youтАЩre going to make a target of yourself,тАЭ he began, тАЬyou could at least-тАЭ
тАЬExcuse me, my lady,тАЭ came a voice from off on the stationary border of the glidewalk.
Beka turned. тАЬYes?тАЭ
The Domina was on her best behavior-Jessan recognized the cant of her head and the
polite-but-distant tone of her voice as a good imitation of the late Perada Rosselin-but she still looked
edgy. She took one glance at the speaker, a heavy-set man in the uniform of a Suivan Contract Security
operative, and her hand came up to straighten a button of her quilted jacket.
Jessan felt a stirring of disquiet. That button was one of the ProfessorтАЩs little toys from their
asteroid base; the concealed audio pickup would transmit directly to WarhammerтАЩs comm console and
main shipтАЩs memory.
SomethingтАЩs not right, he thought. She wants to save this conversation for the record.
The ConSec officer faced Beka and Jessan a pace or two ahead. тАЬAre you the woman identified
as Beka Rosselin-Metadi, who styles herself Domina of Entibor?тАЭ
BekaтАЩs lips tightened at the тАЬstyles herselfтАЭ; her hand fell away from the jacket buttons as she
looked down her nose at the officer. тАЬI am. What is-тАЭ
Two more ConSec officers stepped onto the glidewalk, taking her one by each arm, pulling her
from the glidewalk and shoving her face-first into the wall on the right.
The first man pulled a blaster and took a step back. тАЬYouтАЩre under arrest. Submit yourself
quietly.тАЭ
Jessan paused. Though it might be acceptable Suivan etiquette to abandon a shipmate under
these circumstances, Khesat and the Space Force had higher standards. He thought about going for the
needler in his right-hand coat pocket, or the small sharp knife in his boot top-but in close quarters against
so many, neither one was good enough for anything besides a last-ditch attempt. Especially not when
Beka looked like playing this one as Domina of Lost Entibor all the way to the end.
Follow her lead, he told himself. Do what you can.
By now a fourth ConSec had joined the other three, and was busy searching Beka for concealed
weapons. The captainтАЩs opinion of Suivi Point being what it was, he was finding them-first tearing the
seam of her left sleeve from cuff to elbow as he took away the long double-edged knife, then reaching to
scrabble around inside the front of her quilted jacket.
Jessan heard the sound of ripping cloth, and the ConSec pulled out a small chunk of glittering
metal.
тАЬNeedler,тАЭ he said. тАЬOh, naughty, naughty lady.тАЭ
Beka stiffened.
тАЬYouтАЩre quite mistaken,тАЭ she said. тАЬEverything here is perfectly fine.тАЭ Her Galcenian accent was
even more marked than usual, and the words were pitched to carry. The comm link in her jacket button
should be picking them up with ease. тАЬEverything here is perfectly fine.тАЭ
ThatтАЩs the signal, thought Jessan, as the two ConSecs pinning Beka against the wall brought her
arms up higher between her shoulder blades. Time for a distraction, I think.
He took a step forward.
тАЬExcuse me,тАЭ he said to the first ConSec, who still had his weapon trained on Beka while the
others did the search. тАЬMay I ask your authority for this intrusion?тАЭ
The ConSec hit Jessan across the face with the blaster. тАЬThereтАЩs my authority.тАЭ
Jessan had expected a reaction of that sort, and rolled his head with the blow. All the same, the
impact raised a welt along his jaw. Warm blood started trickling from his cheekbone. He ignored it; there
would be enough time for first aid later.
тАЬOh, dear,тАЭ he said-his High Khesatan accent more pronounced than ever. If the ConSecs
thought they were dealing with a Central Worlds prettyboy straight out of the comedy holovids, so much
the better. тАЬIn that case, I must insist that you take me into custody as well.тАЭ