"Andre Norton - Brother To Shadows" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

"I will come."
He matched step with the Zacathan, walking on the side with the maimed arm. Already
he had gone into bodyguard action, assessing each and every spot from which an attack
might come. But though they met others, they were left alone and Jofre found himself
beyond the Stinkhole and into that section of the port settlement where there were the
hotels to shelter travelers.

They approached the largest of the buildings set aside for visitors from off-world, a tower
which reached some ten stories above the ground to dwarf the highest of the old town's
defense. Here was a clear circle of light about the wide door, showing in warning detail
the guards, mainly, Jofre thought, of off-world stock and alert as their training demanded.
However, at the sight of the Zacathan the one to the right raised his hand in salute.
Whether he triggered some unseen mechanism or not, the door slid back without any
needful touch to admit them into a place which, for all his training to be ready for the
unexpected, almost brought Jofre to a halt.

Before them was a large hall chamber, one which might have swallowed up half the Lair.
And it was divided by a series of tall walls into transparently sheltered circles, squares,
alcoves. Some of these were vacant, others having company within.

The floor was not matted but in some places carpeted, in other sections grounded with
what seemed stretches of sparking sand, in one place with what had all the appearance of
thick mud, and in several what could have been well-cultivated grass starred with colored
blossoms. However, the major roomlets were more conventional with a floor of thick
carpet into which the boots sank. Here were no seating cushions and knee tables. Rather
what looked to offer the same welcoming support of cushions were supported by frames
raising them some distance from the floor. And in two of these so furnished there were
parties of spacers, plainly of officer rank by the prominence and color of their badges.

Zurzal was threading a way which wound between window-walled units and Jofre
followed, though for all his efforts he could not keep his eyes from straying now and then
to the occupants of other roomlets they passed.

In one which was floored with the grass (if it were grass) there were planted two of what
looked to be misshapen trees, wide trunks extending horizontally. Perched on these were
two beings of surely a very alien stock. One was fragile of body, the proudly held head
was covered with what seemed to be curled silver white feathers. The eyes in an oval face
were very large and set rather to the side, while the mouth and nose were united in what
could almost be termed a beak. From a wide gemmed collar about the slender throat
floated a series of panels of gauzy stuff, the color shading from pearl-white to rose,
constantly rippling with every movement of the slender body they were apparently to
adorn rather than cover. Jofre thought this must be a female, for her companion, plainly
of the same strange species, had a feathered head with an upstanding crest, and feathers
extended across his shoulders and down the outer side of his arms. The hands he used in
quick gestures were more taloned than fingered. His clothing was more practical perhaps,
what there was of it, as it consisted of breeches of a shiny material and boots quite like
those of any spacer.
The birdlike couple were neighbored by a stretch of sand wherein several large rocks had
been assembled. On these squatted thingsтАФJofre could not at that moment accept them as
sentient beingsтАФnot emotionallyтАФthey were too much like, or rather suggested, carvings