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

relived the ProfessorтАЩs deed. Lieutenant Vinhalyn, however, had translated the blood-scrawled
characters somewhat differently: тАЬFind the Domina.тАЭ
But the Domina was dead.
 тАЬDomina of Entibor,тАЭ said Beka Rosselin-Metadi. She jerked the twisted iron tiara out of her hair
and threw it across the room onto the rumpled bedsheets. On Suivi Point appearances were everything;
the acting government of Entibor-in-Exile kept its front office ready for official visitors, even early and
unexpected ones, by throwing all the clutter into the living quarters at the back. тАЬLeader of the Second
Resistance. Hope of the Galaxy. It stinks like a load of rotten fish guts.тАЭ
тАЬGently, Captain,тАЭ Nyls Jessan advised. BekaтАЩs copilot and number-one gunner was lean and
fair-haired, with grey eyes and pleasant, if ordinary, features. He smiled at her. тАЬGently. When did you
ever smell rotten fish guts, anyway?тАЭ
тАЬSapne, in the main port-market. I told you the place was a pestilential sinkhole, remember?тАЭ
тАЬI remember.тАЭ Jessan moved up behind her and began taking the pins out of her long yellow hair.
тАЬIf youтАЩre thinking about Tarveet of Pleyver, the comparison is certainly apt. But you donтАЩt have to like
him-тАЭ
тАЬI know, I know,тАЭ said Beka, as the intertwined plaits came free and fell down one by one. тАЬ
тАШJust work with him.тАЩ Mother used to say the same thing.тАЭ
Jessan kept on unbraiding her hair; his fingers moved warmly against her neck, making it hard for
her to concentrate. With an effort, she gathered her thoughts and went on.
тАЬHow did Tarveet get to Suivi Point, anyway? Why the hell couldnтАЩt the Mages have snapped
him up on Galcen along with the rest of the Grand Council?тАЭ
тАЬThat would have been nice,тАЭ agreed Jessan. тАЬI suspect that the esteemed councillor was already
here visiting his money when everything fell apart.тАЭ
тАЬTaking some cash out for a walk, more likely.тАЭ Beka frowned. тАЬI wonder who he was planning
to buy with it.тАЭ
тАЬBefore the Mageworlds invaded? He could have been after almost anybody.тАЭ Jessan paused,
and his hands came to rest lightly on BekaтАЩs shoulders. She leaned back against him; his breath caught
for a second before he continued, тАЬAt least now heтАЩs willing to give some of it to us.тАЭ
тАЬAnd we canтАЩt afford to be choosy.тАЭ She sighed. тАЬI know. Tarveet needs a Resistance fleet to
protect his investments for him, and we need all the backers we can get. But a fleetтАЩs the only thing his
money is going to buy; I hope he isnтАЩt expecting me to come along with it.тАЭ
She felt JessanтАЩs grip tighten and then relax. тАЬIf the esteemed councillor from Pleyver makes that
particular mistake,тАЭ her copilot said, his High Khesatan accent more marked than usual, тАЬthen I will
disabuse him of the notion.тАЭ
тАЬPoor Nyls.тАЭ She shook her head. тАЬI do believe that Tarveet managed to get under your skin.тАЭ
тАЬWell . . . somewhat.тАЭ
тАЬ тАШSomewhat.тАЩ тАЭ Beka turned to face Jessan. In spite of herself, she smiled. тАЬYou do a really
good look of exquisite disdain, did you know that?тАЭ
тАЬJust one of my many talents,тАЭ he said.
тАЬAh.тАЭ She regarded him thoughtfully. тАЬYou have others?тАЭ
тАЬSo IтАЩm told.тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs nice.тАЭ Her finger traveled down his shirtfront, teasing open the fasteners along the way.
тАШTell me about them.тАЭ
тАЬI play an excellent hand of cards,тАЭ he said. He reached out and undid the top button of the
quilted jacket Beka wore to keep out the chilly air of the Suivan domes. тАЬIтАЩm a passable shot with a
blaster . . . a fair pilot . . . and a good enough medic in most cases to keep my patients breathing.тАЭ
He undid the other buttons one by one as he spoke. Beka shivered. She had dressed in haste
that morning-after TarveetтАЩs comm call had pulled her out of bed cursing-and wore nothing beneath the
jacket except her bare skin.
тАЬYou never learned all those on Khesat,тАЭ she said.