"Ann Maxwell - Concord 2 - A Dead God Dancing" - читать интересную книгу автора (Maxwell Ann)

presence.
*I will sing.*

The minute sounds of DiriтАЩs stealthy approach brought Lhar into full wakefulness. He waited until her
hand touched the waterbag, then said casually, тАЬYouтАЩre early, Diri. No water until weтАЩre ready to leave.тАЭ
DiriтАЩs eyes blinked in the sudden flickering light of the candle Lhar lit; she saw that he slept as naked
as she did.
тАЬI didnтАЩt come for that kind of water.тАЭ
As she walked toward him the golden candlelight added to her incomparable dancerтАЩs grace. She
knelt so close to him that he could feel the heat of her body through the marvelous suede texture of her
silver skin/fur. Her hands moved over him deftly.
тАЬYouтАЩre an expert, Diri. But you still donтАЩt get any drinking water now.тАЭ
Diri just smiled slightly and continued her work. Though Lhar read the meaning of her smile he did
nothing to evade her hands. Instead, he pulled her across his body in a long, sensual caress.
She smiled widely. As his breathing deepened and he became hot and heavy to her touch, she
redoubled her subtle undulations, knowing that soon he would be in an agony of desire. When she judged
the moment to be ripe, she collapsed and whimpered of thirst.
LharтАЩs laughter woke everybody in the tent.
For a moment Diri was too surprised to speak, then she cursed him vividly. When that had no effect
she reminded him that she was indispensable for getting the natives off Tal-Lith.
тАЬGive me water or IтАЩll blow this contact all the way to Centrex. And you with it!тАЭ
The curtain parted, revealing TтАЩMero. In his hand a quartz knife dripped candlelight. A tremor
rippled through Diri as she felt orange eyes measure her.
тАЬI doubt that weтАЩll need the knife,тАЭ said Lhar.
TтАЩMero sheathed the knife with a hissing sound.
тАЬDiri is only dangerous so long as she believes herself powerful,тАЭ continued Lhar. тАЬYouтАЩre a
convenience, Diri. No more. If you wonтАЩt cooperate, weтАЩll do without you.тАЭ
Diri lay unmoving for a long moment, then rose to glare imperiously at them.
тАЬI am Lith. There is no other. I am All.тАЭ
тАЬYou are merely LithтАЩs messenger,тАЭ said Lhar coldly. тАЬThere are other ways of delivering a
message.тАЭ
Syza stepped forward into the sphere of candlelight. Behind her, Nevin watched and learned.
тАЬYou endanger us, Diri,тАЭ said Syza. тАЬNot just your pig thirst for water, but your selfishness in all
things.тАЭ
тАЬYou should know about selfishness, healer,тАЭ said Diri sarcastically, pointing to LharтАЩs raw cheek. тАЬI
at least share my talents.тАЭ
SyzaтАЩs eyes shone like green opals against her pale face. Diri dismissed her with a contemptuous
look.
тАЬAsk your anthropologist if IтАЩm only a convenience,тАЭ she said to Lhar.
Lhar spoke before Nevin could tell the uncomfortable truth.
тАЬI donтАЩt have to ask, Diri. I know.тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt.тАЭ
She smiled insolently and approached the waterbag. Syza and TтАЩMero moved simultaneously to
intercept her. Lhar signaled for TтАЩMero to step back.
тАЬTell us why we need you,тАЭ said Syza. тАЬI donтАЩt quite understand.тАЭ
Though her tone was innocent of any threat, LharтАЩs senses leaped at a feeling of raw danger and he
remembered that eight people had died mysteriously on Bjmsk.
His mind poised for attack. тАЬSyza,тАЭ he said in a low, penetrating voice.
At LharтАЩs quiet word, color returned to SyzaтАЩs face and her eyes lost their strange sheen. Diri leaned
close to Syza and spoke in a sibilant whisper.