"Jean Lorrah - Empire 03 - Captives of the Savage Empire" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lorrah Jean)

He laughed. "So do IтАФand so will the Council of Masters when they test me under Oath of Truth." But
his next words were sober indeed. "Melissa, I have no fear for myself. I am concerned about you."

"Me?"

"Even if I wished to, I could not conceal from the Masters that you provoked my curiosity. You are no
spy, eitherтАФbut that is not what they will tell you the testing is about. If I am tested for the rank of
Master, I will probably fail, but that will make no change in my status here. If they test you, though, for
the rank of Magister, you will fail. I will try to persuade them that you belong here, at Gaeta, but your
chances so long as you cannot pass the tests for Magister rank are very slim." His voice became tightly
controlled as he added, "I don't know if they will even send you to one of the smaller hospitals to workтАж
but I do know that they will arrange a marriage for you, and you will lose your powers, not develop them
further."

Midwinter was near; Jason was to travel to Tiberium for his testing, but severe weather postponed his
journey. Snow filled the passes in the hills, and had no time to melt before another storm laid further
layers on it. Weeks passed, and he worked even harder with Melissa, determined to ready her to pass
her testing. She became more and more at ease outside her bodyтАФespecially when Jason was with her.
Still, neither he nor any of the other healers could teach her to move to other planes.

Alethia reported further rumors among the failed ReadersтАФreports from those who had recently joined
their ranks that the testing had become harsh, unfairтАФthat almost no one was passing into the top two
ranks, and that it seemed to have little to do with their Reading skills, more with the answers they gave
under Oath of Truth.

"But don't you think their stories are prejudiced?" Melissa asked Alethia. "Doesn't every failed Reader
feel he has been treated unfairly?"

"I didn't," said Alethia. "I knew full well that my skills had not improved for months. I have been on the
Path of the Dark Moon for three years, Melissa, and never before have I heard such a series of
complaints. Nor have there been so many failuresтАФor so many testingтАФbefore. Something strange is
going on in Tiberium."

And a few days later, after another fruitless lesson but before they returned to their bodies, Jason told her
cryptically, //The pier. After supper.//

She was there first, shivering despite her warm cloak, so she climbed onto the rocks, sheltering from the
bitter wind. Jason came and sat above her. "I leave tomorrow, Melissa. I do not know whether I will
return."
"Not return?! But you said even if you failedтАФ"

"They may decide an error was made in elevating me to the rank of Magister. Master Florian warned me
today. The Council of Masters does not usually test any but Master candidates; the Academy faculties
are considered to have all the knowledge and power to decide who is worthy of Magister rank. Now
there is a rift in the Council between the Masters of Academies and those Masters who do not
teachтАФbut the latter outnumber the former. Once this matter of renegade Readers is settled, we may see
much retesting, with stricter standards."

"Magister Jason, surely you could not fail a retesting."