"Tracy Falbe - The Rys Chronicles 03 - Judgment Rising" - читать интересную книгу автора (Falbe Tracy)

Haley reached over and pulled his light brown hair free of its ponytail. She ran her fingers through
it, noticing that his sideburns had begun to gray.

тАЬAs always my wife is kindest to me when I am leaving,тАЭ Sandin commented.

Haley withdrew her hand. тАЬAnd as always my husband suffers no hardship in leaving me,тАЭ she
complained.

Sandin faced her. He really had not expected her to fuss over his leaving like the woman of a
common man. тАЬYou knew what you were doing when you married a military man. You wanted to
avoid the extended bother of a husband always at home,тАЭ he reminded.

She squirmed a little and said, тАЬI am not dissatisfied with my decisions, butтАФbut must you go for so
long? You said you might be as many as five years away.тАЭ

тАЬMaybe more,тАЭ Sandin added with no gentleness.

Frowning, Haley continued, тАЬYou have never planned to be gone so long at once.тАЭ

тАЬYou are only bothered because I have been home for so long this time,тАЭ Sandin said.

Haley sighed. тАЬBut Sandin, your son will become a man while you are away.тАЭ

тАЬI am not a family man,тАЭ Sandin snapped.

Haley argued, тАЬThen think of yourself andтАФтАЭ

He cut her off. тАЬI think of the Empire!тАЭ

тАЬPlease!тАЭ she cried indignantly.

тАЬI have explained to you how important this is,тАЭ Sandin said. тАЬThe Empire must not be left to age
into dotage. It must thrive and claim the Wilderness while it may. I have told you that kingdoms lie
beyond the Rysamand. If the Atrophane do not take the west, how long do you think it will take
other peoples to expand into the new land? Then they would be in a position to ally with Jingten
and threaten the Empire. You canтАЩt know how powerful the rys are.тАЭ

тАЬYes, you are fond of telling people that they cannot understand the wonders of the west, but I can
see how powerful the rys are by the toll that experience took on the former Lord General,тАЭ Haley
declared. тАЬKwan came back a broken man.тАЭ

тАЬDo not say that!тАЭ Sandin yelled. тАЬI will not hear you condemn that man for retiring again.тАЭ

тАЬHe was broken. I could see it in his eyes,тАЭ Haley insisted boldly.

Deciding not to rebuke her again and certainly start a fight, Sandin grumbled, тАЬIt was not easy for
any of us.тАЭ

тАЬI know,тАЭ Haley agreed softly, thankful that her husband curtailed his anger. тАЬAnd I do not want
worse things to happen to you than already have. Think, Sandin, all the weight will be on your