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

a rigid brace with his eyes on the opposite building instead of on the man he was addressing.

The door groaned and began to swing inward. Perennius looked at the guard without anger. "Your
tribune," he said "may not have seen as many feet of intestine spilled as I have, sonny. But, like I say, it's
a problem that'll cure itself sooner or later." He stepped between the men into the short passageway that
led to the shabby elegance of the entrance hall.

The interior of the building was very dark by contrast to the sunlit street. Perennius nodded to the
functionary who had opened the door, but he did not notice that the fellow had raised a hand for
attention. "A moment, sir," the man said in a sharp voice as Perennius almost walked into the bar
separating the passage from the hall proper.

The hall was a pool of light which spilled through the large roof vent twenty feet above. The agent's eyes
adapted well enough to see by the scattered reflection that the man who spoke was too well dressed to
be simply a slave used as a doorkeeper. There was a shimmer of silk woven into the linen of his tunic.
"Your pass, sir," he said with his hand out. Beside him stirred the heavy-set man with a cudgel, the civilian
equivalent of the two uniformed men outside. Since the last time Perennius had been here, the Bureau had
added its own credentials check to duplicate that of the army. Clerks seated at desks filling the hall
glanced up at the diversion.

Perennius fingered out his diploma again and handed it to the doorman. "First," he said, "I need to see a
fellow named Zopyrion, Claudius Zopyrion, in one of the finance sections."

The doorman ignored what the agent was saying. He closed the document with a snap and a smile.
"Very good, Legate Perennius," he said in a bright voice. "The Director has requested that you be passed
through to him at once. His office is - "

"I know where the Director's office is," Perennius said quietly. He could feel muscles knotting together,
but he managed not to let his fists clench as they wanted to do. Rome always did this to him; it wasn't
fair. "First I need to see - "

"You can take care of your travel vouchers later, I'm sure, Legate," the functionary interrupted. His smile
was a caricature, now, warping itself into a sneer. "The Director says - "

"Read my lips!" the agent hissed. His voice did not carry to the assembled clerks, but the bruiser in the
passage straightened abruptly. "I said, I'll see Navigatus when I've finished my business with Zopyrion.
Now, if you want to tell me where to find the bastard, fine. Otherwise - " and his eyes measured the
bruiser with cool detachment before flicking back to the doorman - "I guess I'll go look for myself."
Unconquered Sun, Father of Life! He should never have come back.

"Upstairs," the doorman said. He slid aside a curtain behind him. There was a doorway, punched
through a frescoed wall when the house was converted. The plain wooden staircase might have been
original. "He's the head of Finance Two. Follow the corridor to the left."

"Thank you," Perennius said with a nod. He strode to the staircase.
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