"Recluce - 07 - The Chaos Balance" - читать интересную книгу автора (Modesitt L E)

аа "He did not have much choice."
аа "The greater price we pay for such folly." Gethen shook his head. "And
Sillek knew it was folly. We talked of it, but, no, he was young, and the
holders would not accept that he had wisdom beyond his years. Nor would
his most esteemed mother."
аа "You hate the Lady Ellindyja," said Fornal. "Yet she was only trying
to uphold Sillek's honor with the older holders."
аа "I have no problem with honor, Fornal. Honor and trust are a man's
greatest allies, but the Lady Ellindyja used her idea of honor to destroy
the holders' trust in Sillek. He could have been the greatest lord of
Lornth, and he loved Zeldyan in a way that the poets claim is common-and
seldom happens in life. Yet his own mother incited her friends, and the
old holders, to push for the war against Westwind. Where lies honor in
that?" Gethen shrugged. "Now ... we have a regent's council, which is
always suspect. We have Ildyrom free to nibble at the grasslands, and
Karthanos protected by the demon angels and free to wreak his will on
eastern Candar."
аа Fornal frowned before answering. "He will not cross the Westhorns
against the dark angels."
аа "Not across their lands, but what will happen after he takes Spidlar?
He will, sooner or later. Can he not move all his troops south into
Analeria and swing through the southern passes into Cerlyn?"
аа Fornal stroked his black beard, rubbed his chin, then looked up as
Zeldyan closed the door behind her. She carried the blond Nesslek, his
eyes closed, cradled in her arms.
аа "You were speaking of Karthanos?" she asked, easing herself back into
the wooden armchair. "Best we consider the scroll, first. How long has it
been since word has come out of Cyador?"
аа "Almost a generation. Genglois found one scroll in the old library,
and there are others, but I bid him cease searching," said Fornal. "It
also referred to the copper mines. Genglois said that Berphi-he was the
Lord of Cyador then-died thereafter, and the Cyadorans never pursued the
issue."
аа Gethen lifted the scroll. "Do we ignore the demand? Do we ask for
recompense? We cannot fight another land ... not after last fall."
аа "Why do we not send a polite answer that says nothing?" asked Zeldyan.
"As if we totally misunderstood? They think we are ignorant
forest-dwellers anyway."
аа "It might buy time, and we can use much of that," mused Gethen. "But
why does the Emperor of Cyador trouble us now?"
аа "According to Skiodra and the other traders that frequent the outlying
stations-"
аа "Outlying stations?" asked Fornal.
аа "They do not permit outsiders' parties within Cyador-a few travelers
perhaps, but certainly not traders, especially not after the Kyphrans
tried to seize that isolated port town," Zeldyan explained.
аа "Guarstyad," confirmed Gethen. "It seems to have roused this Lephi
against us all. What do we know of him?"
аа "Some of the Cyadorans have no great love of this Lephi. There was a
struggle for the succession, and he ousted his beloved younger brother."