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

тАЬLetтАЩs get it over with,тАЭ saidтАФRheba, taking his sweaty hand in hers and pulling him
down the ramp. тАЬтАШThe sooner we begin, the sooner we end,тАЩтАЭ she intoned, quoting an
ancient Senyas engineering text.

The BreтАЩn gulped a chestful of the stifling air and followed, whistling minor-key curses.

As Kirtn and Rheba left theDevalonтАЩs protective radius, the J/taals and their war dogsтАФ
cleptsтАФflowed smoothly outward until Rheba was surrounded. She was their J/taaleri,
and their job was to see that she came to no harm.

A clept ranged by iтАЩsNara, its silver eyes smoldering in YhelleтАЩs humid light. iтАЩsNara
made a startled sound and stopped.

тАЬWhatтАЩs wrong?тАЭ said Rheba.

тАЬThe J/taals,тАЭ said iтАЩsNara. тАЬTheyтАЩre forbidden.тАЭ
тАЬWhat?тАЭ said Kirtn.

тАЬForbidden,тАЭ repeated iтАЩsNara. тАЬTheyтАЩre death, and death doesnтАЩt respect illusions.тАЭ

Rheba stared at the illusionistтАЩs face. тАЬButтАФтАЭ

IтАЩsNara simply looked more stubborn. FтАЩlTiri came and stood by her side. тАЬItтАЩs true,тАЭ he
said. тАЬIf the J/taals are along, every Yhelle will be against us, even our own clan.тАЭ

тАЬIce and ashes!тАЭ swore Rheba. тАЬFssa, tell the J/taals to take their clepts and wait in the
ship.тАЭ Then, remembering Daemen, where the J/taals had disobeyed and followed her,
she added, тАЬMake sure they know that IтАЩll he worse off if theyтАЩre with me than if theyтАЩre
in the ship.тАЭ

Fssa shifted in her hair until he was the proper shape to emit the grunts, clicks and
gratings that composed most of J/taal communication. Their language was very primitive,
because intraspecies telepathy made speech useful only with outsiders and enemies.

The J/taals did not like one syllable of what they heard. That much was obvious from the
ferocious expressions that settled on their faces. Equally obvious was the fact that they
were not going to protest their orders.

тАЬWhy arenтАЩt they arguing?тАЭ asked Kirtn.

тАЬThey know itтАЩs useless,тАЭ whistled Fssa. тАЬYhelleтАЩs phobia about J/taals is common
knowledge in the Equality. But they werenтАЩt sure Rheba knew, since she isnтАЩt from the
Equality.тАЭ

Rheba frowned. тАЬThey wonтАЩt try to follow me as they did on Daemen?тАЭ

тАЬNo.тАЭ FssaтАЩs whistle carried overtones of absolute confidence.

тАЬExplain,тАЭ she snapped in Senyas, the language of precision and directness.