"Jean Lorrah - Savage Empire 04 - Flight To the Savage Empire" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lorrah Jean)

dehydration.

It seemed to go on forever, until Clea passed out one last time, and then drifted into true sleep. So did an
exhausted Astra, to be awakened some time later by Morella. "Come. Look."

Clea was awake, weak but without painтАФand her mind was clear and under her own control. Her eyes
glowed in her ravaged face as she took Astra's hand. "Thank you," she whispered, tears of weakness
coursing down her cheeks. "May all the gods bless you, Magister!"

To the pleasant surprise of both Morella and Astra, Clea remained free of her addiction. She regained
her beauty, and was once again one of Morella's favorites. She also regained her love of jewelry,
especially ringsтАФand when her customers found out what pleased her, she soon had a ring for every
fingerтАФand even some for her toes!

The incident with Clea had brought Astra and Morella closer yet, but even so, Morella wouldn't be
happy to see Astra at her door after sundown on this last day of the blood-sport season; a Reader in the
place during business hours would send customers scurrying away! Aware that she was racing the setting
sun, Astra increased her pace. She Read ahead before she turned the corner, not that she expected to
encounter another Reader in this part of TiberiumтАФ

To her surprise, the scarlet of a Master Reader's cloak met her inner vision. He was male, and very old,
accompanied by a boy who hobbled on a wooden leg. The boy was a Reader in training, wearing a plain
white tunic under a brown wool cloak. Neither he nor the old man was Reading.

They did not have to; it was Astra's duty to avoid meeting the Master Reader, male to female, as he
outranked her. Even if she were a Master herself,

his age would make it the duty of every female Reader short of Portia herself to keep out of his way.

But what is he doing here? she wondered.
Astra realized that if she remained where she was, the two male Readers might see her when they
reached the street corner. She ducked into a narrow passageway between buildings, annoyed at being
thus delayed.

She knew who the Master and the boy were: Master Clement, formerly of the Adigia Academy on the
northern border, and one of his students. Astra let her annoyance take the form of Reading themтАФafter
all, they were talking openly.

"But Torio was my friendl" the boy was protesting. "He wasn't a traitor. I know it!"

"Although that is possible, Decius," said the old man, "for your own safety you must not say so. No talk
of Torio or Master Lenardo, no matter what the other boys say."

"ButтАФ"

"You are old enough to know that sometimes it is best to keep silentтАФand that includes Reading.
Especially Reading. Nothing is accomplished by defending Lenardo or Torio. Suspicion already falls on
their friends."

They were talking about the traitor Lenardo, the renegade Reader who had turned against the Aventine