"Jacqueline Lichtenberg - Lifewave 02 - City of a Million Legends" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lichtenberg Jacqueline)

Zref acknowledged, then opened the high security file.
It was a datafile on the search for the City of a Million Legends that had ended when he and Arshel met. He skimmed the part
that he knew. Ever since the first two nonhuman species had contacted each other and begun the first interstellar alliance of the
Second Lifewave, they had found a common motif buried in their legends, a city rumored to exist in some inaccessible spot or some
far gone time. Fabulous fantasies came true there; people lived together without strife, every peasant lived in luxury, disease was
unknown, knowledge beyond all dreams allowed them to manipulate the fabric of the cosmosтАФmagic.
Every planet had legends of travelers straying into the City for a time and returning wealthy beyond imagining, or suddenly
talented or youthful. One legend even told of a traveler who came back from the City of a Million Legends to find dead relatives
returned to life.
Recently, archeologists had uncovered scattered traces of the First Lifewave civilizationтАФthe first occupation of the
galaxyтАФand suddenly it was believed that the City of legend had been the capital of that ancient civilization.
Ancient inscriptions were found indicating that in the heart of a maze at the center of the City was an Object. Gazing upon this
Object conferred the ability to persuade anyone to do anything. Such "Persuaders" had been an arm of the government of the First
Lifewave. Experts averred that the Maze-heart Object might still exist, and the race was on.
Zref and Arshel had been swept up in that headlong search, until three years ago, because of Arshel's ability as an
archeovisualizerтАФable to read the history of an artifact by touching itтАФthey had been the ones to find the actual maze in the City
of a Million Legends. But all they found was an inscription saying the Object had been removed and hidden by the last of the
Persuaders.
Zref had thought that chapter of his life closed. But new data had been added to the Guild's file. In recent months, a new
archeological expedition funded by the Hundred Planets government, had disappeared. Suddenly, books were being published
purporting to instruct individuals in how to search for the Mazeheart Object; swarms of ill-equipped explorers were camping out
on inhospitable planets and having to be rescued. An Interface's report indicated a probability that organized criminals were still
determined to find this legendary treasureтАФbefore the forces of law and order did.
The final entry was an official HP document on their new expedition to search for the Mazeheart Object, warning that the
existence of the expedition must not leak into the hands even of the member HP governments lest the panic begin anew, with each
special interest group scrambling to get the Object before anyone else so it wouldn't be used against themselves.
Within yet another internal security barrier, which melted as he addressed it, Zref found the last entry. Guild research showed
that the HP statisticians had discovered the Guild's unwritten policy against archeological research, and so in order to get an
Interface, this Official HP expedition to find the Mazeheart Object was disguised as the Lantern Schoolcruise Pilgrimage Tour
which he and Arshel were being invited to join. The ruse was expected to fool whatever criminal forces had destroyed the previous
expedition, as well as the Guild.
When Zref came back to awareness of the room, he heard Khelin saying, ".. .once worked for Lantern Enterprises. A
schoolcruise is something new for Lantern."
"Indeed. We expect the novelty to attract many students interested in the strange fact that spiritual shrines seem to outlast
many civilizations. Already, dozens of acknowledged experts on such eternal shrines are among the students. We expect more will
sign up when they discover an Interface will be aboard to help with their research project."
"Research project?" probed Khelin, and Zref understood that he was diverting Onsham's attention from Arshel while Zref was
unable to function as her bhirhir. She stood behind him, but some odd sense told him she was raising venom.
"Each student who successfully completes an original project on the shrines we visit will receive degree credit at Camiat
University, plus the right to submit his project to Lantern. If it's selected as the basis of a Lantern novel, the author will be paid
more than the price of the Cruise!"
Zref rebelled at the idea of lending himself to such use. He'd given his allegiance to the Guild only when they adopted the policy
of slowing archeology to prevent First Lifewave technology from wrecking this civilization. Yet the Guild was right. With the
gathered brainpower of the Hundred Planets, the curious, enthusiastic students, the Cruise might succeed. If so, he ought to be
there. "Mr. Onsham, when does this cruise depart Camiat?" asked Zref.
"In three days."
"Call your superiors and have departure postponed at least three days. At that time, we will give you a definite answerтАФ but I
don't guarantee it will be yes."
"Zref!" gasped Arshel. From her tone he knew she was raising venom, feeling the threat of abandonment.
He held up one hand to silence her, and kept his gaze firmly on the human before him, more Guild Interface than bhirhir now.