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

Grandfather was awake! He was slumped awkwardly in his seat, but he was awake.
His right eye was open, the left half closed as always, and he was drooling, as
always, but obviously he was having one of his good spells, and Shandie was
glad, glad, gladlthey were so rare now! It was as if the old man had gone away,
like Aunt Oro, and it made Shandie feel all cozy-nice to see him come back,
although it would only be for a few minutes.
And Grandfather had noticed Shandie! He smiled down at him. "You're toga'th come
looth, tholdier," he said quietly. But he was smiling, not angry at all! And
Shandie must move to obey an imperial command, whether Ythbane liked it or not.
Quickly he gathered up the fallen folds with his right hand, looping them back
on his left arm, and he lifted that useless limb back into place and held it
there. The pleating was an awful scrimmage, but it would have to do. He smiled
briefly, gratefully, up at Grandfather, then turned to stare across at the White
Throne again, going as still as a stone pillar again. Pity he'd had no excuse to
move his feet a bit.
Ythbane had recovered from his surprise. He bowed to the throne. "A discussion
of the Krasnegar matter, your Majesty."
"Thought that wath all thettled?" Grandfather's voice was very slurred nowadays;
and quiet, but the words obviously staggered the courtiers. Clearly he still
understood more than they had believed. "Ambassador Krushjor's views of the
concordat-"
"Memorandum!" the ambassador roared.
"Whaz 'e want?" the imperor mumbled.
Ythbane scowled. "He demands safe conduct for Thane Kalkor to come here to Hub
to negotiate in person on a matter-"
"-he has the best claim to the throne of Krasn-" Krushjor bellowed, much louder
than the consul.
"-burning and looting-"
"-thane of Gark, and an honored-"
"-ever dares show his face-"
Then ... sudden silence, with everyone staring up at the throne behind Shandie's
left shoulder. If it wasn't sorcery, then Grandfather must have gestured.
"Kalkor?" the tired old voice whispered.
"Yes, Sire! The same murdering raider who has been killing and looting all
through the Summer Seas for months. The Navy's Southern Command has been
completely reorganized over the matter, as your Majesty will recall, but too
late to stop this Kalkor escaping westward, through Dyre Channel. He sacked
three towns in Krul's Bay and is now apparently in, or near to, Uthle. He has
the audacity to propose that he sail his infamous orca longship up the Ambly
River-all the way to Cenmere!"
Ministers and secretaries shook their heads in disbelief. Senators rumbled with
outrage. Shandie had been reading up on that geography just yesterday: the Nogid
Archipelago, and the horrid anthropophagi (q.v.), and the Mosweep Mountains, and
trolls ...
"Worse!" Ythbane added loudly. "He, a notorious pirate, demands to be recognized
as sovereign ruler of Gark, as if it were an independent state, so he can
negotiate directly with your Imperial Majesty on the matter of Krasnegar. He
furthermore demands safe conduct for-"
"Granted!"
Ythbane choked, stared, then said, "Sire?" disbelievingly.