"Sharon Green - Mists of the Ages" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Sharon)

voice filled with confusion. тАЬIf they knew Seero and didnтАЩt even have a
completed stroke to complain about, why did they wipe him? And how did he end up
in a Twi House meeting place to begin with? He was always so careful about
checking a layout before going in.тАЭ
тАЬThey must have been discussing something they considered more important than
SeeroтАЩs life.тАЭ I answered, looking up to see the way all three of them stared at
me. тАЬThey could have decided to depend on his silence the way they had in the
past, but chose instead not to bother. As for how Seero ended up in the middle
of a meeting between the heads of four Houses who never in the past got together
on anything, that one is easy. He was set up.
тАЬIs that a guess, or do you know it for certain?тАЭ Sharp asked, her voice very
soft in contrast to the look in her eyes. тАЬIf itтАЩs confirmed, give us a name.тАЭ
тАЬI didnтАЩt have to guess.тАЭ I said, running a finger around the rim of my cup
without looking down. тАЬOn the way to the stroke Seero told me who had put him
onto the target, and the idea made him chuckle. The man who considered himself
SeeroтАЩs greatest rival had worked for months digging out the location of this
shady political bigshotтАЩs city address, had confirmed what artwork and other

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valuables the apartment held by visiting it as a repairman or some such, and had
only been waiting for the bigshot to be out of town. As soon as that happened he
started getting ready to goтАФand while he was moving around managed to slip and
fall because of a small pool of salad oil that had been spilled by his roommate
on their kitchen floor. He ended up with a very painful sprained ankle, which
meant he needed someone he could trust to take over for him. HeтАЩd hated the idea
of calling Seero, but Seero was the only one he knew who could be relied on to
play it straight.тАЭ
тАЬAnd the reason he didnтАЩt simply wait until he was healed, and then go ahead
without a reluctantly-taken partner?тАЭ Tris asked, filling in the line as he and
the others knew it must have gone. They werenтАЩt wrong, and my nod acknowledged
that fact.
тАЬThe bigshot had sold the apartment, and would be moving his things to an
in-city estate as soon as he got back,тАЭ I supplied. тАЬIf the stroke didnтАЩt come
off right then, all those months of work would be worse than wasted. Better half
the rake than losing it all.тАЭ
тАЬAnd Seero believed him,тАЭ Sharp stated, her dark eyes furious. тАЬJust as we all
would have, because of the one bit of truth he used: Seero was the only one
among us who could be counted on to play it straight. There was no way anyone
would have thought it was a trap.тАЭ
тАЬThe slig must have found out about the Twi meeting while he was sniffing
around,тАЭ Tris said, coming to the same conclusion I had. тАЬThereтАЩs never been
even a whisper about a connection between that politico and the Houses, so the
slig must have counted on their wiping Seero to keep that quiet, if for nothing
else. They must be into him below his underwear if they used his apartment for
their high-level hush-hush. Seero never had a chance, not with the kind of
heavies they use to keep those meetings private. Give us the name of that slig,
Inky. We want to pay him a visit and tell him how much we admire his planning
ability.тАЭ