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

ignoring NevinтАЩs sudden questioning look. тАЬOnce we reach the river and follow it toward the city we can
expect contact within days. Diri will dance at the Festival, be worshiped as LithтАЩs image, tell the natives
weтАЩre Her messengers ... and leave. Within one cycle, three at most, the population of the city will be
prepared for exodus and resettlement on a new planet. And you will have the pleasure of knowing you
helped save a race from extinction.тАЭ
Diri grumbled and thrust her hands out of sight in her sleeves.
тАЬAnything else?тАЭ asked Lhar.
тАЬSongs or chants or both,тАЭ said Nevin quickly. тАЬTheyтАЩre nearly as important as the dance. I canтАЩt
carry a tune in a gray net. Who is our khanerтАЩs voice?тАЭ
тАЬSyza.тАЭ
Syza drew in her breath suddenly. тАЬIтАЩm a healer, not a singer.тАЭ
тАЬContact said you had a pleasing voice.тАЭ Lhar looked at her with sudden intentness as his mind
correlated odd facts into an improbable theory. Her eyes burned in her pale face and she stared
unwaveringly at him.
тАЬIs nothing private?тАЭ she asked bitterly.
тАЬNot on a mission. Ask NevinтАФтАЭ
Nevin looked puzzled, then squirmed as comprehension came.
Syza ignored him. тАЬHow can the natives expect a khaner this small to have both singer and dancer?тАЭ
тАЬWe arenтАЩt just any khaner. We have LithтАЩs image with us.тАЭ
Syza said nothing.
тАЬIs public singing taboo in your native culture?тАЭ asked Nevin curiously.
Syza picked up a piece of harness and began rubbing oil into it.
тАЬTтАЩMero,тАЭ said Lhar, тАЬstart Nevin and Diri on the throwing stones.тАЭ
Lhar waited until the others had left before he sat across from Syza and unceremoniously took the
harness from her hands.
тАЬAgent Zomal, either you convince me that there is a very good reason why you shouldnтАЩt sing or I
will trip the psi net and get a ship to pick you up.тАЭ
тАЬMy songs are wordless. They arenтАЩt at all like native songs.тАЭ
тАЬWordless ... did you sing while you were herding drifs?тАЭ he asked suddenly.
тАЬNo.тАЭ
The lie did not bother him as much as the reason behind it. He sat very quietly, recalculating SyzaтАЩs
relation to the whole of the mission in view of the new facts. He sensed Syza watching him covertly
through the curtain of bronze hair which swung out from her downcast head. He had an odd, double
sensation in which he was her, wondering what thoughts lay behind the handsome mask of his face. The
sensation vanished.
*Beauty is a matter of taste and culture, Syza. We must have much in common; to me you are very
beautiful. And if what I suspect about you is true ...*
There was no response. He realized that she did not know she had inadvertently reached out in
mindtouch.
He sighed, and when he spoke his voice echoed his inner regrets.
тАЬIтАЩm sorry, Syza. YouтАЩll have to go back. I can live with Bjmsk, but I canтАЩt live with a hostile team
member. ItтАЩs too dangerous.тАЭ
тАЬWho is Bjmsk?тАЭ she asked in a thin voice. тАЬIs he or she dead? Was it someone I couldnтАЩt heal?тАЭ
тАЬBjmsk is a planet. According to Contact, you healed it very nicely.тАЭ
Syza looked at him without comprehension, fear darkening her eyes.
тАЬKere Zomal died on Bjmsk,тАЭ he said bluntly, and sensed tremors of memory swaying through her
mind.
тАЬDid he ... ?тАЭ
тАЬPart of you knows, Syza. Remember.тАЭ
тАЬI married Zomal on Earth,тАЭ she said dully. тАЬHe had entered Decline. I healed him and healed him