"Shirley Meier & S. M. Stirling - Fifth Millenium 02 - Saber and Shadow" - читать интересную книгу автора (Meier Shirley)

From the next room came a subdued knock and Shkai'ra's husky voice as
breakfast was delivered. Megan sighed, tried to go back to sleep, but the next
time Ten-Knife-Foot pushed the door open, rubbing his cheek on it, she threw
the cotton sheet off and called a servant to order her own breakfast.
Ten-Knife insisted on sharing her bacon with her.

"This one-" She looked through the door to where Shkai'ra was finishing a
sword exercise, empty-handed, and pointed down to where the cat lay on her
foot. "This one wants to expand his territory and is insisting that we share
too." She watched the plainswoman straighten. "Is he always this acquisitive
of people?"

"Nia." Shkai'ra smiled, pausing for a moment and craning her head back to call
through the gap between door and jamb. "He usually bites people he meets. Good
morning."

"Goddess morning to you."

Megan found herself watching a droplet of sweat run down the underside of one
of Shkai'ra's breasts. The Kommanza caught the glance and smiled back with a
lazy grin. Then she took a deep breath, bent backward until her palms touched
the floor behind her heels, did a handstand, and then dropped into a series of
exercises, stretching first, then blocks, kicks, and handblows at an imaginary
opponent.

Stop that, Megan told herself firmly, looking down at the tray in her lap as
she ate and away from the rippling sweat-slick skin. The eating-pick was
strange, with four tines rather than one. You decided long ago that sex
doesn't interest you anymore.

Shkai'ra was wiping her torso with a towel as Megan came through the door. "No
gods-damned point in this," she grumbled, throwing it over one shoulder and
dropping an armload of clothes and weapons on a chair. 'Til be sweaty again in
a breath, just standing still." She scooped up the cat and sat, fanning a
piece of paper at him; he batted at it with claws out, and she read the
Fehinnan cursive with her lips moving slowly.

A snuffle of laughter escaped her, growing to a throaty chuckle.

"An itemized bill," Shkai'ra said, ruffling the animal's ears, "for
Ten-Knife's depredations. A trail of ruin he must have left. In one night,
cat? Also a trail of black kittens with yellow eyes and terrible tempers, I'm
sure." The cat endured her fingers for a moment, then flowed through her arms
and stalked away with an air of purpose.

"How much damage can a cat do?" Megan said. "And he must have caught his share
of rats.

Shkai'ra picked up the list. "Also a pet dog, a roast of beef, two pieces of
imported sharksfin from the table of a shipowner, upsetting a bottle of wine