"George Alec Effinger - Marid 3 - The Exile Kiss" - читать интересную книгу автора (Effinger George Alec)

ballroom and pulling Papa to his feet. They embraced, although Papa said nothing at all. Then Shaykh Reda turned to
me. "And here is the lucky bridegroom!"
I didn't stand up, which was a blatant insult, but Abu Adil pretended not to notice. "I've brought you a fine gift!"
he said, looking around to be certain that everyone was paying attention. "Kenneth, give the young man his gift."
The blond kid stared at me for a brief moment, sizing me up. Then he reached into his jacket's inner pocket and
took out an envelope. He held it out toward me between two fingers, but he wasn't going to come close enough for me
to take it. Apparently he thought this was some kind of contest.
Personally, I didn't give a damn. I went to him and grabbed the envelope. He gave me a little quirk of the lips and
raised his eyebrows, as if to say "We'll sort out where we stand later." I wanted to throw the envelope in the fool's
face.
I remembered where I was and who was watching, so I tore open the envelope and took out a folded sheet of
 paper. I read Abu Adil's gift, but I couldn't make any sense of it. I read it again, and it wasn't any clearer the second
time. "I don't know what to say," I said.
Shaykh Reda laughed. "I knew you'd be pleased!" Then he turned slowly, so that his words would be heard easily
by the others. "I have used my influence with the Jaish to obtain a commission for Marid Audran. He's now an officer
in the Citizen's Army!"
The Jaish was this unofficial right-wing outfit that I'd run into before. They liked to dress up in gray uniforms and
parade through the streets. Originally their mission was to rid the city of foreigners. As time passed, and as more of
the paramilitary group's funding came from peo-ple such as Reda Abu AdilтАФwho himself had come to the city at a
young ageтАФthe aim of the Jaish changed. Now it seemed that its mission was to harass Abu AdiFs enemies,
foreigner and native alike.
"I don't know what to say," I said again. It was a pretty bizarre thing for Shaykh Reda to have done, and for the
life of me, I couldn't figure what his motive had been. Knowing him, however, it would all become painfully clear soon
enough.
"All our past disagreements have been settled," said Abu Adil cheerfully. "We'll be friends and allies from now
on. We must work together to better the lives of the poor fellahtn who depend on us."
The assembled guests liked that sentiment and ap-plauded. I glanced at Friedlander Bey, who only gave me a
slight shrug. It was obvious to us both that Abu Adil had some new scheme unfolding before our eyes.
"Then I toast the bridegroom," said Shaykh Mahali, rising. "And I toast the ending of conflict between
Fried-lander Bey and Reda Abu Adil. I am known among my people as an honest man, and I have tried to rule this city
with wisdom and justice. This peace between your houses will make my own task simpler." He lifted his cup of coffee,
and everyone else stood and followed suit. To all but Papa and me, it must have seemed a hopeful time of
reconciliation. I felt nothing but a growing knot of dread deep in my belly.
The remainder of the evening was pleasant enough, I guess. After a while I was quite full of food and coffee, and
I'd had enough conversation with wealthy strangers to last me many days. Abu Adil did not go out of his way to
cross our paths again that night, but I couldn't help noticing that his blond pal, Kenneth, kept glancing at me and
shaking his head.
I suffered through the party for a little while longer, but then I was driven outside by boredom. I enjoyed Shaykh
Mahali's elaborate gardens, taking deep breaths of the flower-scented air and sipping an iced glass of Sharab. The
party was still going strong inside the amir's official residence, but I'd had enough of the other guests, who came in
two varieties: men I'd never met before and with whom I had little in common, and men I did know and whom I just
wanted to avoid.
There were no female guests at this affair, so even though it was nominally a celebration of my marriage, my wife
Indihar was not present. I'd come with Kmuzu, Friedlander Bey, his driver, Tariq, and his two giant body-guards,
Habib and Labib. Tariq, Kmuzu, and the Stones That Speak were enjoying their refreshments with the other servants
in a separate building that also served as the amir's garage and stables.
"If you wish to return home, my nephew," ^aid Fried-lander Bey, "wp may take leave of our host." Papa had
always called me "nephew," although he must have known of our true relationship since before our first meet-ing.
"I've had my fill of this amusement, O Shaykh," I said. Actually, for the last quarter hour I'd been watching a
meteor shower in the cloudless sky.