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

not present it themselves?"
аа "The Accursed... Forest... rods and rods of the rice fields and the
bean fields-those not already flooded-they are gone."
аа "Gone?"
аа "The forest has awakened-"
аа "The Forest of the Nameless? Have the wards failed? The wards have
never failed."
аа Husenar bowed again. "The wards are no more, and the forest lives."
аа "I have taken their petition under advisement, and I will act
accordingly."
аа After the petitioners and Duhru departed and the doors closed, Lephi
turned to Themphi. "About that mess with the Eighth Mirror-"
аа "They could not so dishonor a peasant."
а а"Themphi . . . did you not hear what I said? When a man is so
distraught he will die rather than accept two years' wages for a dowry,
something is wrong. She is doubtless a spineless wench, but when peasants
believe such girls are innocent they do not pay taxes, except under
duress, and we do not need that now. I tell you again: you will find the
guilty parties. If they are the officers, they can also choose duty to
protect the people of Geliendra from the Accursed Forest-for the rest of
their lives." Lephi smiled coldly. "I want every peasant to know that I
heard and acted, and every officer to know that girls outside the
households of officers or the pleasure class are to be left untouched. I
do not care how many paid concubines they have, but they must be sure
that the purchases of concubines are well witnessed. Well witnessed." He
paused. "Of course, if it is the girl, and you had best be very sure,
then she should be publicly violated by at least a company of Mirror
armsmen. Whatever happens, I want both punishment choices made public, so
that I receive no more petitions such as this."
аа Themphi swallowed.
аа "Send some of the engineers to check the forest, and the wards. How
could they possibly have failed?"
аа "I do not know." Themphi shifted his weight from one foot to the
other. "The wards are very old, and the ancient accounts record that the
forest was cunning and patient before it was restrained."
аа "Then you will go and repair the damage, and restrain the forest once
again. After you complete your work on this mess with the girl. Send no
engineers from the Second. We need them to re-create the fireships, to
reclaim the ocean from the eastern traders." Lephi stared at the wizard.
"Had your predecessors not allowed the ancient fireships to deteriorate,
we would have no such problems."
аа "Sire, they had no choice."
аа "There is always a choice."
аа "Not where chaos is concerned." Themphi ignored the dampness on his
forehead.
аа "Do you question your Emperor, Themphi?"
аа "Emperors have choices, Sire, except where order and chaos meet. The
same is true of wizards. I cannot change what was and is, even at your
command."
аа "Bah . . . you sound just like Triendar. Do they cast spells over you