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

would change were he to come to grief. And, though heтАЩs managed to slip through them all so farтАФhe
has a tendency to miraculous recoveries when he messes up, too, a good thing in a leaderтАФhe takes
great risks.тАЭ
тАЬWell, now this brings me back to a previous enigma,тАЭ Megan said. тАЬSix months ago my spies had it
that he was executed with a lot of fanfare in Arko.тАЭ
The Benaiat smiled, and sipped his Saekrberk. тАЬBeing one of your spies, I will report: like many
things done in Arko with a lot of fanfare, it was faked.тАЭ
тАЬThe only thing Arko hasnтАЩt faked in a while, apparently, is losing,тАЭ ShkaiтАЩra snorted.
тАЬThey gave him what they said was poison, in front of a sell-out crowd in the arena,тАЭ Ivahn
continued. тАЬActually it was a drug that made him appear dead.тАЭ
тАЬHe must have been rather surprised,тАЭ ShkaiтАЩra chortled, тАЬwhen he woke up.тАЭ
 тАЬHe must carry a large grudge against Arko.тАЭ Megan ran a fingertip over the lock of one of the
books on the desk.
тАЬWell,тАЭ Ivahn answered, тАЬthey captured him treacherouslyтАФhe was on a peace mission, carrying
KurkasтАЩs oath of safe conduct, as I can attest, having a copy hereтАФinvaded his homeland, killed his
dearest friend in front of his eyes, and tortured him to madnessтАФtemporary madness, I should add,
thatтАЩs why he was on Haiu Menshir. One might surmise he just may hold a slight grudge.тАЭ Megan
chuckled and nodded.
тАЬI suppose he was able to make all those alliances that the Yeolis didnтАЩt make before, and get all
those mercenaries, on the strength of his name?тАЭ asked ShkaiтАЩra.
тАЬAnd by renewing old friendships?тАЭ Megan added. тАЬWith people whose interests might be threatened
by an Arkan conquest of Yeola-e, being near, and who have money in large enough amounts to pay for
all those mercenaries he couldnтАЩt possibly afford himself?тАЭ She tilted her head and winked at Ivann.
тАЬWouldnтАЩt you say?тАЭ
His smile widened, good to see on that gaunt face. тАЬGreat trouble I should have, hylashka, were the
Arkans as perspicacious as you. Yes, their conquering Yeola-e wouldтАФdidтАФput their border a day and
a nightтАЩs sail from BrahvnikiтАЩs very walls. And theyтАЩve had ambitions against us for centuries. So yes, I
did float Chevenga a very substantial loan. And I was not the only Brahvnikian who did; I think he raised
at least double that again among prominent citizens who shall remain nameless. I will guarantee you one
thing about him, which will explain at least in part all this. If you meet him, which I suspect you will, youтАЩll
like him, if not on first sight, on first word. Very few are those who donтАЩt.тАЭ
Megan raised her eyebrows quizzically. тАЬThatтАЩs a rare talent, to say the leastтАФto make me like you
on sight.тАЭ
тАЬOh, I know you better than that, hylashka,тАЭ the old man chuckled. тАЬAt any rate, I think you will:
youтАЩll see.тАЭ
Megan got up and paced along the windowed west wall, catching glimpses of the river and Brahvniki
out of the corner of her eye. тАЬDo you know how the Yeolis, in general, treat Zak? IтАЩve dealt with one or
two, but one isnтАЩt likely to discuss pogrom over coffee.тАЭ
тАЬThere are a number of Zak living in Yeola-e proper, mostly in and around Selina. They mind their
own business, and the Yeolis mind theirs. The curly-hairs tend not to have the sort of atavistic beliefs
about witchcraft that make people want to destroy and drive it out in terror; theyтАЩd put it down to some
strange face of the God-in-Ourselves they havenтАЩt seen yet, not to demons or Halya-spawn or
what-have-you. ItтАЩs true that they tend to think of the rest of the world as a slow child that they earnestly
and generously hope will improve enough to come around to their way some day, but underneath that
they are fairly broadminded about spiritual things.тАЭ
ShkaiтАЩra snorted. тАЬA slow child, hmmph. IтАЩve noticed people who favor mob rule tend to be that
way. Not that IтАЩve ever seen it carried so far as an entire race taking a vote over an invasion. Which
brings me to a concern I had. The manтАЩs been given marching orders by his mob. And says he wants
them. But from what we heard, it sounds like they had to all but pull his toenails out to get it out of him,
grudge or no grudge. Is he really whole-hearted about this fight?тАЭ