"04 - Emperor and Clown 1.0" - читать интересную книгу автора (Duncan Dave)

would appear, as well, each on his own throne-Olybino and Zinixo and Lith'rian.
An imp, a dwarf, and an elf. That was silly, too. The Protocol should have made
all the wardens imps, to protect the Impire properly.
One day, when Shandie got to be Emshandar V, then he would get to read the
Protocol (q.v.). Only imperors and wardens ever did.
No sorcerer would ever come to a brain-melting boring meeting like this, though.
They were done! Now another herald was unrolling a scroll. Ythbane nodded.
"His Excellency, Ambassador from the Nordland Confederacy . . ."
Ambassador Krushjor came striding forward like a great white bear, followed by a
half-dozen other jotnar, all shockingly half naked in helmet, breeches, and
boots and nothing else-dumb barbarians showing off their hairy chests and
hey-look-at-that muscles! Ambassadors were the only people excused formal court
dress. They were allowed ethnic costume. It did look silly, though.
Oh, Holy Balance! Shandie realized that he could use some of those muscles
himself right then. His left arm was sagging under the weight of the train
draped over it. He tried to raise it and couldn't. It wouldn't obey him. It was
dead.
But Ythbane couldn't have noticed yet. He was eyeing the jotunn ambassador, and
having to lean his head back to do it. The consul was not big for an imp, and
the older man was an average-size jotunn. Some of the younger jotnar in the back
were even bigger, with bushy gold beards. And muscles! Bet they could hold up a
toga for weeks if they ever had to. Moms called the jotnar "murdering monsters."
The senators had fallen silent, as if this were going to be more interesting
than ... Gods! There, up in the back row-how could he not have noticed sooner?
Just in time, Shandie remembered not to move. It was Aunt Oro, right in there
with the senators! He hadn't seen her in months. She'd been away at Leesoft. His
heart jumped, then sank-he wanted to run to her, or at least smile and wave, but
of course he mustn't move. He thought maybe he'd twitched a little on seeing
her, but Ythbane was still watching the jotunn, so it wouldn't matter.
She'd understand that he must put duty first, and mustn't fidget on formal
occasions.
Fancy Aunt Oro in with the senators! But of course she had senatorial rank. Much
higher rank, really, because she was Princess Imperial Orosea. She even
outranked Moms, who was only Princess Uomaya. So Aunt Oro could sit anywhere she
wanted, but he'd have expected her to have a chair on the steps of the throne,
like Moms. He wondered when she'd returned to court. He hadn't heard a whisper,
and he was pretty good at picking up gossip, because he spent a lot of time
around grown-ups and they tended to forget he was there.
Surely she wouldn't go back to Leesoft without coming to see him? He wouldn't
mind a hug from Aunt Oro. It wouldn't be unmanly to let her hug him just once-it
wasn't as if everyone did. Or anyone, really. Of course it would be unmanly to
mention the beatings. All boys got beaten, and princes were special and had to
be specially beaten. So Ythbane had said last time, making a joke-he'd added a
couple of strokes, saying Shandie was being impudent by not laughing.
If Aunt Oro asked any questions, of course, he'd have to tell the truth, and if
he was still limping ... "The matter of Krasnegar has already been settled,
signed and sealed!" Ythbane was shouting. Bad sign. He shouted a lot these days.
He'd never shouted before Grandfather got old.
Shouting wasn't going to do him much good with the jotunn, though. The big
silver beard parted to show big yellow teeth. "With respect, Eminence-" He