"Ann Maxwell - Fire Dancer 3 - Dancer's Illusion" - читать интересную книгу автора (Maxwell Ann)

Kirtn was in the control room arguing with the illusionists. Fssa, dangling from KirtnтАЩs
neck, let out a delighted hiss when he sensed RhebaтАЩs unique energy fields. Without
pausing in his argument, Kirtn lofted the snake in RhebaтАЩs direction. She snatched him
out of the air, bracing herself as his weight smacked into her hands.

No matter how many times she held him, she was always surprised. His dense flesh was
unreasonably heavy. In her hair, however, he weighed almost nothing. He had once told
her that he тАЬtranslatedтАЭ her dancer energy into his own private support system. She had
questioned him further, only to be told in arch tones that she тАЬlacked the vocabulary to
understand.тАЭ

тАЬIf you get any heavier IтАЩll drop you,тАЭ she muttered as she wove him into her long hair.

тАЬYouтАЩll break your toe,тАЭ whistled Fssa smugly. Whenever possible, he used the whistle
language of BreтАЩn. It required the least amount of shape-changing to reproduce. In
addition, BreтАЩn was lyric, multileveled and evocative, all of which made it irresistible to
the linguistically inclined Fssireeme. тАЬDonтАЩt take a snakeтАЩs word for it,тАЭ he encouraged.
тАЬDrop me.тАЭ

Rheba made a flatulent sound, a Fssireeme way of expressing disgust. FssaтАЩs hissing
laughter tickled her neck.

Both illusionists began shouting. As they shouted they seemed to grow taller and wider
with each word until they loomed threateningly over the control room.

тАЬWhatтАЩs the problem with them?тАЭ Rheba said softly to Fssa.

тАЬFourth People.тАЭ Fssa sighed like a human. тАЬSometimes I think you pay for having legs
by lacking brains.тАЭ

тАЬTell me something new, snake.тАЭ
 тАЬThe illusionists are trying to convince Kirtn that he should just drop them at SerrioliaтАЩs
spaceport and leave. HeтАЩs trying to convince them thatтАФтАЭ

KirtnтАЩs roar drowned out FssaтАЩs speech. The snake hummed in admiration. As far as he
was concerned, BreтАЩns made the best sounds of any Fourth People.

тАЬтАФgoing with you! Now shut up and get ready for the landing!тАЭ

тАЬBuiтАФтАЭ

тАЬShut up!тАЭ

Rheba winced. The illusionists slowly deflated until they were normal size. Kirtn took a
deep breath and reached for his lunchтАФa cup of mush that nourished the body and left
the palate to fend for itself. With the life-support systems overloaded, it was the best the
ship could do. He tasted the mush, grimaced, and slammed the cup into its nook on the
control console.

тАЬCold.тАЭ It was just one word, but whistled in BreтАЩn it described a world of disgust.