"L. E. Modesitt - Corean Chronicles 4 - Alector's Choice" - читать интересную книгу автора (Modesitt L E)

unless or until he learned more, he wasn't about to step into the argument.
Besides, what good would it do? Viencet would just argue more, and his
father would get his back up. From what Mykel had seen, the Duarches
ruled Coras, and they didn't do it that badly. In dealing with the Reillies,
Mykel had seen what a mess both indigens and landers made of things.
 After a moment of silence, Sesalia spoke. "Bortal laid the foundations
for another bedroom."

"Another bedroom?" Mykel blurted.

"Congratulations!" Olent beamed.

"Five mouths..." Mykel bit off the words and forced a smile.

His older sister turned. "With the Duarches' stipend for a fifth child, we
can build the new room and still have silvers left over." She smiled.

"I'm glad it will work out," Mykel offered as gracefully as he could. Five
children? Even five well-behaved children? He reached for the fowl platter
and took another slice, followed by a healthy dollop of potatoes. He did like
the way his mother cooked.

3

Dainyl stepped,out of the steaming shower, wishing that he didn't have
to, but there was only so much hot water, even for an alector, even for a
Myrmidon colonel, if one married to an assistant to the High Alector of
Finance. He quickly wrapped himself in a heavy towel and dried before he
got too chilled. After all the generations that had passed since the coming
of the alectors to Acorus, he would have thought that they would have
adjusted to the chill of the world, but it hadn't happened. Not yet,
although the Duarches kept assuring all the alectors that the place was
markedly warmer than it had been in the centuries after the first seedings.

Hurriedly, Dainyl finished drying and pulled on his undergarments.
Straightening, he glanced at the full-length mirror that showed a
muscular figure of average height for an alector, roughly two and a half
yards, with the shimmering black hair and alabaster complexion. His
midsection remained trim. While alectors might not age, they could
certainly get fat if they overindulged, and Dainyl had a fear of that, rare as
it was. He slipped into the dressing area off the bedchamber, where he
donned trousers, undertunic, and boots.

"The girls have your breakfast ready. We'll eat in the sun-room," called
Lystrana from the base of the stairs. "It's brighter there, but it's a cool day
for so early in harvest."
 "Thank you. I'll be right there." With that warning from his wife, Dainyl
decided to put on an old tunic. He'd change to his uniform tunic after he
ate. On warm days, the hottest of mid- and late summer, he ate breakfast
in his undertunic.