"Mercedes Lackey & Ellen Guon - Freedom Flight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

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Freedom Flight by Mercedes
Lackey & Ellen Guon
CHAPTER ONE
The interrogator's lip curled in a contemptuous snarl. "The traitor is
silent. He cannot even speak in his own defense! This is not a highborn
lord of Kilrah; this is a carrion-eater!"

Standing before the interrogator, Lord Ralgha nar Hhallas stared
bleakly at his enemy. A green haze fogged Ralgha's eyes, the mist of rage.
He fought to contain it, forcing his fur to lie flat, his ears to remain erect,
his eyes to remain wide open and without visible guile. He won the battle
with his instincts and emotions, as he had won the eight eights of similar
battles during the past few hours. His vision came clear again, and the
urge to tear out the throats of his enemiesтАФany enemiesтАФsubsided. He
knew from the posture of the burly guards watching him that he had not
betrayed himself by so much as a tail-twitch.

He could not falter, could not show fear, even for an instant. In this test
of loyalties, any sign of weakness would be instant proof of treasonтАж a true
Kilrathi would be upheld and strengthened by his Honor, impervious to
pain or fear. No torture would break him, no threats would touch his
spirit. If Ralgha showed no fear, if he remained calm and steadfast
throughout this ordeal, then he could not be a traitor.

So does age and experience deceive youth and vigor.

Had he been in charge of this interrogation, he would have had his
captive wired and monitored. Perhaps he should be glad that someone like
him was not in charge. But blood would tell, and breeding; that was a
truism. Breeding would carry him through this. He had to believe that.
 A whisper of sound from the shadow-shrouded figure seated at the end
of the room. "Can he be trusted, Kalrahr?"

Ralgha nar Hhallas stiffened to attention, the hair of his ruff and spine
rising despite his efforts to make it lie flat, uncertain whether he was
going to survive the next few moments. He had seen this shadowy room
before, and had walked through the carved stone corridors of Imperial
Intelligence Headquarters on Ghorah Khar many times, but always as
Lord Ralgha nar Hhallas, commanding officer of the Ras Nik'hra, a
Fralthi-class cruiser that had fought in many battles for the glory of the
Emperor of Kilrah.