"Jerry Pournelle - 02 - Clan and Crown" - читать интересную книгу автора (Pournelle Jerry)

Rick. They never sound that way when the talk is about me. They re-belled
against my father. The wonder is that I lived this long. It is no time to be Wanax,
but I have no choice of times.
More rockets flashed upward from the palace courtyard. Each sent down silver
and gold showers. One burst with a loud sound.
тАЬWas it like that?тАЭ Morrone asked.
тАЬLouder,тАЭ Ganton answered. тАЬMuch louder.тАЭ He had no need to ask what Morrone
meant. тАЬIt was just a year ago.тАЭ
тАЬA whole army,тАЭ Morrone said. тАЬAll killed in an instant-тАЭ
тАЬNo. Only their leaders were killed. We yet had a battle to win. Not that it was

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difficult, with the Wanax Sarakos dead, and all the starmen kneeling to Lord Rick.
But the armies of Sarakos were defeated by good Drantos warriors, not star
weapons.тАЭ
Morrone nodded, but Ganton thought his com-panion didnтАЩt really believe it.
Sarakos had conquered nearly the whole of the Kingdom of Drantos. Until the
great battle, Sarakos held the entire County of Chelm and most lands of the other
great lords. His writ ran everywhere except into the hills where Ganton had hidden
with the Lord Protector and the remnants of the loyalist forces. Sarakos had
defeated the best Gan-ton had, had killed the first Lord Protector. Then the
starman Lord Rick had come with the wild clansmen who obeyed his wifeтАЩs
father, and in one day, one grand battle- More rockets flashed upward. тАЬYou
spend fire-powder with both hands,тАЭ Morrone said.
Ganton shrugged. тАЬIt is no small thing, the birth of the Lady Isobel as heiress to
the greatest lord of Drantos. Besides, the firepowder was given to me by Lord
Rick himself. Come, canтАЩt I show my pleasure at the honor he does me, to have
his child born in my capital?тАЭ And without my leave, although I would have given
it cheerfully. He felt Morrone draw away, and wondered if his friend were angry.
Ganton had few enough friends, and almost none his own age; soon, he supposed,
Mor-rone too would treat him as Wanax rather than friend. All too soon. And that
would be right and proper, but it would be lonely as well- тАЬThere,тАЭ Morrone said.
He pointed toward the horizon to the south. тАЬI can just see it. The Demon Sun.тАЭ
Ganton shuddered slightly and hoped that Mor-rone wouldnтАЩt notice. Only a star,
the starmen had said. A star that wandered close to Tran every six hundred years.
Not a demon at all, only a star.
тАЬIt might as well be a demon,тАЭ Morrone said, as if reading his thoughts. тАЬThe
Demon Sun comes, and we live in The Time. His voice lost its banter, and took
on the singsong notes of a priest. тАЬThe Time draws near, when oceans will rise.
Storms shall rage, and gods will come from the skies to offer gifts. Woe to those
who trade with gods, for after the gods depart there shall be smoke and fire and
destfuction-тАЭ Mor-rone broke off as suddenly as he had begun. тАЬThereтАЩs someone
coming.тАЭ He pointed. тАЬOn the south road. тАЬThere, just below the Demon Sun.тАЭ
Ganton stared into the dusky light. One of the Earthmen had told him that the
Firestealer was as bright as a hundred full Moons, but the words meant little to
Ganton. He was willing to believe that a place called Earth was the home of