"Kerrion Empire - 03 - Earth Dreams" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morris Janet E)

he thought that surely it was from him she had learned
caution, suspicion, and worse. In three years of marriage,
he had got little joy of her. Fugitively, the past rushed in
upon himЧall the errors they both had made, for which
he had repeatedly forgiven her, but never himself. At
least, with her words, the odd firelight and the ethereal
glow and the disturbing "presence" of her had receded:

she was merely a girl, simply his wife, back to normal
size. "In two months, you will have them," he promised,
unfolding his legs and rising. "For now, why not come
with me north to the city's siteЧ?"

A whistle, harsh and shrill, interrupted them. When
she heard it, Shebat sprang up from behind her fire and
sought him, putting a finger to his lips to silence him;

while from without, Gahan Tempest, Shebafs intel-
ligencer/bodyguard, called their names. They hastened
toward the cave's mouth together, so nonplussed by the
urgency in Tempest's summons that it was not until a
long time later that Chaeron thought to ask Shebat how
that short lock of jet curls had come to be shorn, starting
all the trouble he hoped to avoid thereby. And it was to
be as long an interval until Shebat had the opportunity to
question Chaeron as to what other intiatives he was un-
dertaking that had necessitated the massive funding she
had sanctioned over the past months from her Draconis
office: Chaeron could have made Acheron out of solid
gold, for the kind of money he was spendingЧon some-
thing.

Right then, there was time only for running, then skid-
ding on loose stones, then blinking hard at sundogged
shadows.

EARTH DREAMS 7

"What is this?" Shebat demanded, stepping past Tem-
pest, out into the light of waning day (though she knew
already: in her inner sight, a falcate profile shimmered,
rubbed a week's growth of beard on a heavy jaw. Yes,
she saw who awaitedЧon Earth, her enchantress's gifts
were no dream, but all too real).

Gahan Tempest stood leaning against the cave's arch
with arms folded, a disgusted look twisting his fish's
mouth. His voice came from behind her back, as her eyes
adjusted and she could count the mounted men in rough
clothing who milled before a stand of trees, just beyond