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

тАЬYou Peraila Shae-Keril?тАЭ Megan asked in Enchian; that name sheтАЩd made sure to remember.
The man who answered was strong-looking, middle-aged but moving smoothly; a curly-haired
badger with a sort of bronze-brown look that said, тАЬDonтАЩt mess with me and weтАЩll get along fine.тАЭ He
looked up from the desk set under the tent-flap to keep the wet off the papers.
тАЬYes,тАЭ he answered in the same language, closing the book.
Talkative curly-hair, Megan thought. He looked at the Ri, curious rather than nervous, then at both
of them, with the long considering glance of a man who knew fighters.
тАЬWeтАЩd like to hire on,тАЭ Megan said coolly, ignoring the water running down her face.
He beckoned them under the flap, but didnтАЩt offer a seat. Hotblood leaned his head on ShkaiтАЩraтАЩs
shoulder; she slapped his muzzle away. His breath tended to take on the fragrance of rotten horsemeat.
тАЬAnswer me one question firrst,тАЭ said Peraila. тАЬWhat is tsaht?тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs a Ri,тАЭ ShkaiтАЩra replied. тАЬIt runs, fights, eats and fucks; since there arenтАЩt any female Ri around
here, it fights a lot. ItтАЩll do what I tell it.тАЭ
Peraila leaned back in his chair, unsmiling. тАЬWhenтАФifтАФwe sign you up,тАЭ he said, тАЬyou will call
someone of higher rannk kras. Short foтАЩ kraseye.тАЭ So thatтАЩs how to say тАЬsirтАЭ in Yeoli, Megan
thought. IтАЩve always wanted to know. He demonstrated the salute, one finger to the temple. тАЬYou may
prahctice on me, if you wish. Or nahtтАФtill you signed up. Well, hyere I ahm ... convince me you worth
whaht you think you arrre.тАЭ
 Megan made the formal introduction. тАЬShkaiтАЩra is the cavalry officer and her mount is very good at
night hunting. They work as a team as well.тАЭ
тАЬMounted archer, lance, mounted swordwork, sword-and-shield on foot.
Sneak-up-and-slit-their-throats. In descending order,тАЭ ShkaiтАЩra said.
Megan turned her hand over, nails curled in. тАЬI work in the dark as well. IтАЩm good with knives and ...
other things. Have you heard of Zak?тАЭ
тАЬтАЩTai.тАЭ His eyebrows took on an expression of intrigue, though it was only slight. Truly blase?,
Megan wondered, or just feigning it? тАЬWeтАЩve never hahd one of you join beforrhe.тАЭ He looked around
at the people bustling here and there despite the rain, stood up, and, once reassured Hotblood would
stay where he was, beckoned them to the open flap of his tent.
They hung sodden coats on a peg inside. There were papers everywhere, but no sign of money; the
treasury was closer to the center of camp, it seemed, and better guarded. They all knelt on the mat.
тАЬArrhe you good with otser things,тАЭ he asked Megan, тАЬbesides knives?тАЭ
тАЬA few.тАЭ MeganтАЩs hands were on her legs, fingers pointing in. She took a deep breath and drew on
the manrauq, outlining her hands in yellow light. Once set, the spell needed minimal attention, letting her
talk. тАЬThis sort of thing.тАЭ
Now there was a reaction on that reactionless face.
The eyes widened. тАЬStop right tsere,тАЭ he said. She snapped the spell in two, the light dying with it.
тАЬShow me no morrhe ... I think you two arrhe special cases. YouтАЩll hahve to undeтАЩgo
truth-druggingтАФstrictly ahs precaution, you undeтАЩstahnd.тАЭ
Shit, Megan thought. An Arkan technique, truth-drug for anything suspicious, truth-drug
scrapingтАФasking you what it was you least wanted them to know, while you were under the drugтАФif
they thought you were a spy. Seemed the heroes had picked up a few of the villainsтАЩ tricks. Megan
blinked once then nodded. тАЬWeтАЩve got nothing to hide.тАЭ Do we? A quick mental inventory. No, we
really donтАЩt this time.
The paymaster summoned a squire in fluid Yeoli, sent him ahead, rattled off an order to a
clerkish-looking type near by, and rose. тАЬCome with me. You cahn leave youтАЩ baggage hyere, my people
will guarrd it, but bring tseh ... ahnimal.тАЭ
With Hotblood at ShkaiтАЩraтАЩs side they went deeper into the camp, towards the center; soon there
was no language in the air but Yeoli, flowing like water, full of unpronounceable sounds. Somehow the
Yeolis managed to gesticulate even with both hands full. Every eye seemed to strain, puzzling out the
nature of Hotblood. They passed a crowd of tiny tents of an odd grey-green color, the people in and