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

тАЬOh, yes. ItтАЩs a Yeoli thing. Any method, other than a vote, of deciding on an act so majorтАФand so
much against their customs; theyтАЩve never done it beforeтАФYeolis would consider unthinkable.тАЭ
Megan nodded. She had been taught a little Yeoli politicsтАФvery little, it being seen as subversive by
the DragonтАЩs NestтАФand remembered the main principle, тАЬthe people wills,тАЭ in Yeoli, semana kra, hence
semanakraseye, literally, тАЬthe-people-wills-one.тАЭ Laws were initiated by citizens at large and enacted
through plebiscites of various forms, sometimes complex, involving percentages and such; the
semanakraseye existed only to oversee their administration, and to act quickly in case of war or
emergency. Over the military, though, his power was absolute.
тАЬAnd they are very jealous of their power; all sorts of ways they have, of clipping a semanakraseye
тАЩs wings. Including a forbiddance on his voicing his wishes regarding national policy. They made an
exception this time, wanting to know as you do, ShkaiтАЩra, whether he was whole-hearted.тАЭ
тАЬBut he had to make a show of sticking to the rules,тАЭ Megan said, тАЬI understand.тАЭ
 тАЬOh, it was more than show. Chevenga is an adherent of mob rule, to the bone; he was bred that
way from birth. Knowing him, he genuinely squirmed at having to say what he wanted, dreading to
interfere with the vote. I know itтАЩs hard to believe. A sad irony, for him: no one will believe it, theyтАЩll
think as you did that it was a show, that he pulled the strings all through, and heтАЩll be pinned with having
wreaked change on his people without their consent, when all he did in truth was act on their wishes. He
just doesnтАЩt know how to do it any way but brilliantly, thatтАЩs the trouble; with him as the sword in their
hands, his people couldnтАЩt resist taking on the giant.
тАЬAnd of course if he winsтАФwell, he wouldnтАЩt leave Arko leaderless afterwards, to fall into chaos;
heтАЩd consider it a breach of responsibility. So heтАЩll take over as Imperator. Arkans falling on their faces
every time they enter his presence; imagine what Yeola-e will think of that! Poor Chevenga: heтАЩll be the
one who pays in the end, more than anyone else, I know, for heтАЩll arrange it that way. Well, thatтАЩs
neither here nor there for you. You asked whether heтАЩs whole-hearted. IтАЩd say he is.тАЭ
Megan rubbed her hands thoughtfully up and down the sleeves of her shirt. тАЬWell, itтАЩs good to know
that an honest man stands a chance of becoming Imperator, anyway. Ivahn, thank you for being one I
can count on for news.тАЭ
He quirked an eyebrow at her. тАЬThat is almost like saying IтАЩm a gossip, my friend.тАЭ She crinkled the
corners or her eyes at him. тАЬOr an acerbic old fox.тАЭ
Who in Halya told him I said that? He knows pissing everything. тАЬWhy donтАЩt we say ... oh ... a
person with a great many sources of intelligence, instead?тАЭ She pushed herself away from the wall and
held out her hands to him. тАЬThank you again for your advice. WeтАЩll be leaving as soon as we can.тАЭ
тАЬSo be it,тАЭ he said, taking her young hard hands in his gnarled gentle ones. тАЬGood luck, Megan,
ShkaiтАЩra. When you find your son, will you bring him to visit?тАЭ
тАЬI wouldnтАЩt dare not to. I hope you donтАЩt mind that IтАЩve called you an old fox.тАЭ
тАЬAn acerbic old fox,тАЭ he corrected. тАЬShould I mind what is so apropos?тАЭ
тАЬNot if itтАЩs meant affectionately, you acerbic old fox.тАЭ
He laughed. тАЬZak imp. Honey-giving One be in your souls on your journey.тАЭ

тАЬSafe journey,тАЭ MatthasтАЩs landlord wished him, as he handed over the big brass key. тАЬHoney-giving
One be with you, and may you sell lots of rubber and silk in Karoseth. An indefinite time, you say; IтАЩll
expect your letter, then.тАЭ
тАЬThank you.тАЭ Thank Celestialis I did take this trade on as a cover, he thought as he headed to
harbor, a guard of two Brahvnikian hirelings in tow. An established merchant can get a bank loan to
finance a business journey. The Benai had been amenable enough, despite his nationality, though theyтАЩd
charged him hefty interest.
Now off to Selina, a quick change of nationalityтАФhe could convince Yeolis he was a Thane easily
enoughтАФput together the caravan and do what everyone else was doing: join Shefen-kasтАЩs army.
That was where the evil twosome had gone. For him, there was no other way to cross through
Yeola-e than to say he meant to sell to the army. Their security wouldnтАЩt be too hard on a middle-aged