"James C. Glass - Shanji 3 - The Creators" - читать интересную книгу автора (Glass James C)

CHAPTER ONE
YESUI AND NOKAI


There had been light rain during the night, and in the morning glow from Tengri-Khan
water droplets sparkled in rainbow colors as if diamonds studded the transparent dome
high above Shanji's capital city. Across the valley, a black buttress of rock rose to scattered
forests among mountainous craigs giving the planet its name. Three peaks glowed in a
mottling of red and yellow, and there was a flash of gold from the roof of a pagoda nestled
within their summits.

Yesui yawned, and raised her arms in ritual greeting to the morning, the palms of her
hands turned outwards to receive the light, drawing energy from it in a smooth flow through
arms, chest and legs. The ritual was a daily reminder she was an intimate part of this world
and the universe containing it. A special part, yes, for she was Mei-lai-gong, the Empress of
Light. Within the hour she would return to the gong-shi-jie, the place of creation, to do her
daily work. There had been a time when the gong-shi-jie was her prefered place to be, her
manifestation floating within swirls of the light of creation, the vortices of stars peeking
through from real space, all peaceful, without ambition or agenda, so unlike her interactions
with people. But then she had met Nokai and now he was with her on Shanji, and it seemed
her heart constantly ached with the love she felt for him.

As Ambassador of Lan-Sui, Nokai kept a suite of rooms in the Hall of Ministers, and from
where she stood on the balcony of her palace apartment Yesui could see that the windows
of those rooms were still shuttered. Nokai was not an early riser, often retiring after midnight
and ending each day with an hour of deep meditation and prayer to First Mother. How unlike
we are, thought Yesui, yet I love him so much and he loves me, too. I feel it even now; it's
as if we're constantly connected.

Yesui sighed, and watched as the city of Wang Mengnu Shan-shi-jie awoke below her.
Here was the city of Shanji's Empress, Yesui's mother, called Mengnu by the people and
Kati by those who knew her well. Even in early morning the cable cars were running up and
down the steep upper slopes of the city, and little dots of people were waiting on
pagoda-roofed platforms to receive them. Others scurried to and from buildings of steel and
polymer colored red, yellow, green and blue rising as high as ten stories to the left of the
cable cars, while to the right a cascade of hanging gardens swept down the slope in a
single mass of color. The gardens were empty of people, except for one place where a
small group was performing morning exercises by a pond. Likely they were elderly people,
for this was a workday on Shanji, and even at first light many would be engrossed in their
tasks.

Her grandfather was no exception to this.
Good morning, sweet one. It seems too nice a day to work, but your father and brother
are expecting you and you are again distracted by love.

Gong-gong! I didn't even sense your peeking. You're being naughty again.
 Then you shouldn't broadcast your feelings so loudly without shielding yourself. Every
Moshuguang in the city is probably feeling heartache at this very moment. And your father's
ship needs that jump in space-time within half an hour if he's to reach Tengri-Nayon on
schedule.