"Sharon Green - Terrillian 2 - Warrior Enchained" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Sharon)

announcement of it. His original words had been lighthearted, but he'd been
seriously worried.

"Terry, that's not fair!" Lee protested, getting to her feet once she was
sure I wouldn't be sitting. "You only just got back from talking those savages
into letting us build our complex on their silly planet! How can they give you
another assignment so soon?"

"Possibly it happened because I asked for one." I shrugged, ignoring Lee's
resentment. "I'm feeling very restless these days, and work is the best cure
for that."

"It certainly is," Ted Rohman agreed, putting an arm around my shoulders.
Tedlor Rohman was a newcomer to the Neighborhood, as tall and good-looking as
Sam, but five or six years younger. "But don't forget, Terry, work is also the
best thing to make us appreciate relaxation. I've been looking forward to
asking you to a real, but you've left me very little time. You'll have to tell
me what time to pick you up tonight."

"You pick her up?" Sam frowned, moving a step closer. "What makes you think
she's going out with you? I intended asking Terry out myself tonight."

"Neighborhood Chairmen and diplomats don't have every privilege." Ray
Ladiff interrupted the argument. "I've known Terry longer than both of you,
and it so happens I was going to . . . ."

"You're not a Mediator, Ray," Sam interrupted with a gesture of his hand.
"Just working in Terry's department doesn't entitle you to special
consideration. As far as knowing her the longest goes, longest doesn't mean
best. I can remember. . "

"That's right, longest doesn't mean best," Ted agreed, interrupting in

turn. "It seems to me this can be taken care of by. . "

His words trailed off as I moved out of hearing range, disgusted by the way
the three of them were acting. They didn't want to take me out, they just
wanted to be seen with me, showing everyone what big, important men they were.
I could feel everything they felt when they looked at me, no matter how they
tried to hide it.

"Terry, wait a minute," Lee called, hurrying after me. I stopped where I
was until she reached me, and she gave me a broad, friendly smile and asked,
"Aren't they disgusting? Can you imagine men fighting over a woman in this day
and age?"

I looked back at the three men engrossed in calm conversation and saw, in a
flash of memory, three other men facing one another in the rain. All three
carried swords and all three had wanted me, and only one had walked away from
the disagreement.

"I don't know if I can stand the excitement," I commented, again ignoring
Lee. This time she was jealous, even though it was common knowledge that she'd
already had all three men in her bed at least once each.

"Well, you can teach them all a lesson." She smiled, smoothing her straight
orange hair. "If you come to the party I'm giving tonight, they'll all be left
feeling foolish-especially if you stay over as my house guest until it's time
for you to leave."

I looked at her easy smile, seeing nothing but warmth in it, wondering why
I never realized before how shallow she was. Lee wanted me at her party and as
her house guest, but only for the prestige my presence would bring. It was
easy to feel that she didn't like me, that she resented my height, my slender