"David Drake - Birds Of Prey" - читать интересную книгу автора (Drake David)

Gaius cleared his throat and laid a hand lightly on his superior's shoulder. He had seen the reaction
before, always in rear areas, always in response to someone's attempt to parlay petty authority into
injustice. The younger Illyrian knew that it would be to the advantage of everyone if he could calm his
protector before matters proceeded further.

For the moment, Perennius noticed Gaius as little as he did the older guard. Maximus squirmed as he
met the eyes of the shorter, older man. "Listen, you slimy little thief," the agent went on in a fierce
whisper, "If I ever again hear of you shaking down people on the business of this Bureau, I'll come for
you. Do you understand?"

Maximus nodded his head upward in affirmation.

"Do you understand?" Perennius shouted.

Gaius stepped between the two men. "Say yessir, you damned fool!" he snapped to the guard. "And you
better mean it, because he does. Aulus," he added, turning to Perennius, "you back off, he's not worth it."

"The gods know that's true," Perennius muttered. He gripped Gaius' shoulder for support and took a
shuddering breath.

"Yessir," said the guard. He could not believe what was happening. He had just enough intellectual
control to suppress the desire to grasp his sword hilt. This couldn't be happening!

Still touching Gaius, though the support needed was no longer physical, Perennius retrieved his orders
from the other guard. "Sorry," he said to the mail-clad man, "but if I don't cure him, who in blazes will?"
He thrust the diploma into his wallet and began to unbuckle his equipment belt. Gaius stepped back and
wiped his forehead with the inner hem of his cloak.

"Ah, that's right, sir," said the older guard as Perennius loosed his shoulder strap, then the waist buckle
itself. "We'll return your weapons to you when you leave."

"Sure, couldn't have me going berserk in Bureau Headquarters, could we?" said the agent with the only
smile among the four men. His wallet and purse were hung from a separate, much lighter belt. That saved
him the problem of unfastening the hook-mounted scabbards when he disarmed, or handing the sword
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and dagger over bare to be dulled when somebody inevitably dropped them.

"Ah, sir," the guard added tentatively, "the pass is for you alone."

Everyone paused. Perennius laughed abruptly. Maximus flinched away from the sound.

The agent was amused, however. He was not just going through some prelude to the murderous frenzy
about which he had joked. Perennius had intended to carry his protege in to see Navigatus. It would be
good for Gaius' career, especially if the emergency summons meant the Director might need Perennius'
gratitude. Under normal circumstances, the agent could have squared the guards easily enough and taken