"Shirley Meier & S. M. Stirling - Fifth Millenium 05 - Shadow's Son" - читать интересную книгу автора (Meier Shirley)

тАЬI share the salt,тАЭ he said, the ritual words signalling it was time to get down to business; they were
too close to take any longer with small-talk. тАЬAnd I with you,тАЭ she answered.
тАЬGlad thatтАЩs over with, itтАЩs stiff and stifling, like the robes,тАЭ he said. тАЬWell, Megan. Just what sort of
advice did you want?тАЭ
Megan put down her cup, met his eyes. тАЬWeтАЩre considering joining the Yeoli army to get into Arko.тАЭ
тАЬThe Yeoli army, to get into Arko.тАЭ He didnтАЩt have to ask why. He steepled his fingers, lined brows
creasing. тАЬHmm.тАЭ
тАЬWe heard last night they crossed their border to march on Arko. What do you think of their
chances?тАЭ
тАЬOf conquering the Empire? Better than one would expect. Who would have thought theyтАЩd win
back so far, when they had nothing left unoccupied but a few mountains? They have their alliances, with
Astalaz of Laka, Kranaj of Tor Ench and Segiddis of Hyerne. When it becomes apparent, theyтАЩll have
every mercenary, loot-luster, and soul just plain angry at Arko that they care to join them. And they have
Chevenga. When they advertise in town, itтАЩs for half the pay they offered at first, and goes down every
day. Soon people will join them for nothing but a prospect of Arkan city plunder.тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs not the money I care about.тАЭ
тАЬOh, I didnтАЩt think so, bylashka; IтАЩm only making the point of their perceived chances, of which the
price is an indicator.тАЭ Bylashka, she thought. Well, I guess I am a child, to him.
тАЬтАШAnd they have Chevenga,тАЩ he said cryptically,тАЭ she mimicked. тАЬI am rapidly getting the impression
this personтАЩs bottom is dipped in gold. You never praise anyone, Ivahn. All I knew before was, he was
king of Yeola-e, and deadтАФтАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs not king, itтАЩs se-ma-na-kra-se-ye ... if youтАЩre going to deal with him, you ought to know that,
theyтАЩre touchy about it.тАЭ A smile crept across the wrinkled face, wrinkled mostly with smiling. тАЬHeтАЩs
alive.тАЭ
She raised an eyebrow at him, as ShkaiтАЩra chuckled. тАЬIтАЩd gathered that. But how good is he, really?
Another Osgaerth, maybe, who the Thanish oligarchy kicked into war just to be rid of?тАЭ
тАЬSomehow I canтАЩt imagine Fourth Chevenga being kicked anywhere,тАЭ he said. тАЬThough he has been.
In all honesty, I should admit my bias: heтАЩs a friend. I first met him when he was fifteen. Just between the
three of us, I got him drunk and we went to the Knotted Worm in disguise, to hear about ourselves. Poor
lad, I had to give him a dose of extract of Halya to get him through all his official functions the next day.
тАЬThe Great Bear knows how little I know of war; IтАЩm not much of a judge of fighters or
commanders. But all who are seem to agree he is brilliant as both. He even has manrauq; a sense for
weapons, which has stood him in very good stead. If he has any fault itтАЩs recklessness, but heтАЩs willing to
learn from his mistakes, and is a quick study. A sample of the epithets his army has given him: the
Invincible (thatтАЩs the most common), the Immortal, the Infallible, the Imperturbable, another Curlion ...тАЭ
тАЬAnother Curlion?тАЭ Megan said, brows shooting up.
тАЬWhatтАЩs a Curlion?тАЭ asked ShkaiтАЩra.
тАЬOh, just the man who carved out Iyesi, the first Empire after the Fire, merely the greatest general in
history,тАЭ Megan answered. тАЬI guess this oneтАЩs bottom really is dipped in gold.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩve never seen it,тАЭ Ivahn said, deadpan. тАЬBut to give you an idea, I can tell you what happened the
first time Arko tried to take Haiu Menshir. They sent three ships, thinking an island of pacifists would be
no trouble; he rousted a force up out of the harborтАФwhere all the non-pacifists on Haiu Menshir stay,
you understandтАФand defeated and captured the Arkan unit entire. With a handful of Yeoli elite, some
Srian archers and a rabble of knife-wielding sailors, none of whom got so much as a scratch.
тАЬIn this war, the alliances, the hiring of mercenaries, have all been his work. He has a genius for
persuasion, too. As soon as he was back in Yeola-e they stopped losing and started winning. Those who
say he turned the tide single-handedly arenтАЩt far wrong.тАЭ
тАЬHmmm,тАЭ said ShkaiтАЩra. тАЬIтАЩd like to meet this person.тАЭ And lecture him on cavalry tactics,
probably, Megan thought.
тАЬOf course, there is the inherent danger,тАЭ Ivahn added, тАЬof so much depending on one person. All