"Michael Kane - 01 - Warriors Of Mars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moorcock Michael)

They all rose politely, though not servilely, as
Shizala took her place at the head of one of the
tables. She indicated the chair on her left and I sat
down. The food looked strange but smelled good.
Opposite me, on Shizala's right, sat a dark-haired
young man, superbly muscled. He wore a simple
gold bangle on his right wrist and he put his arm
on the table in such a way as to show it off.

Evidently he was proud of it for he wanted me
to see it. I guessed it to be a decoration of some
kind and thought no more of it.

Shizala introduced the man as BradhinakЧor
Prince Telem Fas Ogdai. The name did not sound
like a Karnala name, and it soon transpired that
Bradhinak Telem Fas Ogdai was from the city of
Mishim Tep, a friendly nation some two thousand
miles to the south. He was, so it seemed, a witty
talker though, of course, I could not understand
what he said. Only a person wearing a circlet
could communicate with me.

On my left was a pleasant-faced young man with

long, almost white, fair hair. He seemed to be mak-
ing a special effort to make me feel at home, offer-
ing food and drink, asking polite questions through
Shizala, who translated for us. This was Darnad,
Shizala's younger brother. Apparently the succes-
sion to the throne of Varnal was determined by sex
and not by age.

Darnad was apparently chief Pukan-Nara of
Varnal. A Pukan, I learned, was a warrior, and a
Pukan-Nara a warrior leader. The chief Pukan-
Nara was elected by popular voteЧby civilians and
warriors alike. I assumed from this that Darnad's
position was therefore no honorary one, and that
he had earned it through prowess and intelligence.
Though he was personable and charming, the
people of Varnal did not judge a man merely on
his appearance but on his merit and record.

I was already beginning to pick up a few words
of the Vashu tongue by the time the meal was
over, and we adjourned into an ante-room to drink
a beverage called basu, a sweetish drink I found
quite palatable but which, frankly, did not at that