"Scott G. Gier - Genellan 02 - In the Shadow of the Moon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gier Scott G)

a place of great honor for one so young, directly to Craag's left. This was his
due, for Brappa-son-of-Braan was sword hand and companion shield of
Short-one-who-leads.

Her son perched tall, confident and warlike, slit-eyed and alert, as a
blizzard of hunters, disdaining the steam lifts, descended from the
mist-shrouded ether. Leather-clad warriors landed everywhere, blanketing
the perimeter of the gathering, with an entire host perched high on the
surrounding cliffsides.

But attention was on the lift descending through the foggy defile, an
intricate system of return chains and gears grinding smoothly through cogs
and pulleys. A soft exhaust pulsed intermittently from somewhere below as
the lift settled gently, its steel-riveted and amber-lacquered wooden deck
fitting flush with the granite dock.

Giant-one captured the attention of all. The tallest and widest of long-leg
warriors, Giant-one towered above the others like a red-bark tree on the salt
plains. Giant-one carried the whelp, who cried lustily. The waiting guilders
murmured and pressed forward. A young stone carver pointed obscenely in
the fashion of long-legs.

Ki maintained her dignity, forcing her vision directly forward. Steam user
Toon, developer of the picture language and known to all dwellers, was the
first to step from the lift. He carried the communication device.
Toon-the-speaker bowed to the elders.

Short-one-who-leads strode onto stone, her cloth garment stretching
across a wide and softly-swelling chest, head high, shoulders back. Dark red
hair bronzed by the sun, as fine as fur only forever long, whipped in the cliff
breezes, revealing ugly cartilage protrusions on each side of her head, an
unbecoming characteristic of her race. She was flat-featured like all long-legs,
and her sun-burnished face exhibited a handsome pearly welt running from
cheek to temple, a battle scar to make any warrior proud. Large, widely
spread eyes, stern and piercing, shone brightly in the mists. Ki saw strength
and turmoil in those blazing emerald orbs.

Short-one-who-leads bowed to Koop-the-facilitator as dwellers bowed,
deeply at the waist with hands held open at the side, palms up. The elder
returned the bow. Ki remained erect, forcing herself not to stare at the alien's
pink five-fingered appendages.

"Short-one-who-leads sends long life and respect, ancient one,"
Toon-the-speaker whistled.

"We are honored," Koop replied, stepping forward. "We are blessed."

Ki waddled at the elder's side. Toon poked at the communication device,
translating the facilitator's words. Short-one-who-leads scanned the
instrument, punched at it with fat fingers, and handed it to the steam user.