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

"The Reillies?" Mykel shook his head. "Not for a while. They've been
pushed back practically to Blackstear. The land's not bad there--it's the
northern part of the Vales of Prosperity--and the Duarches have granted
them the rights to use it, except for timbering. If they raid anyone, they
lose that right."

"Raiding, that's in the blood," suggested Olent.

"That's why I said it would be a while," replied Mykel. `They'll try to
settle down. Can't do that much anyway now. We killed half the men who
could carry weapons."

"I'd always thought you'd become an engineer," interjected Sesalia.

"Landers can only be apprentice engineers. The real engineers are
alectors," volunteered Viencet. "Even the head mining engineers are
alectors. The ones at the mines just do whatever the alectors in Ludar
say."

"Farlak is a real engineer," suggested Aelya.
 "He's Father's age," countered Viencet. "He does twice the work of all
the alectors, and has for years. They made him an assistant engineer last
year. That's where they start the most junior alectors."

"It's always been that way," Mykel pointed out.

Olent cleared his throat, loudly.

"You think that Mykel should be a colonel?" Aelya arched her eyebrows
at Viencet. "Or a Myrmidon captain commanding pteridons? Or that you
should start as a master tiler?"

Viencet winced.

Mykel offered an easy smile. "I'm just a Cadmian captain of mounted
rifles. That's good enough for now."

"Not that many become officers," Sesalia said.

"All my brothers tried," added Bortal. "Corylt was the only one they
took. He's only a squad leader, and he's two years older than Mykel." The
blocky tile-setter frowned. "He's in Zalt. That's where they've just finished
the high road between Tempre and Southgate. His last letter said that
they might see some action, but he couldn't say where. You heard
anything?"

"Someone's always unhappy somewhere," Mykel said. "Could be the
Reillies in the north Westerhills, or the nomads in the hills east of the Dry
Coast..."