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

тАЬNo matter what hap-pens, keep your hands off your weapons. You have seen our
star weapons. These gentry will be watching us, and their captain has weapons to
overpower any you have seen us use.тАЭ
The women nodded solemnly. The five merchant adventurers behind them looked
around uneasily.

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тАЬThey could get us bloody well killed,тАЭ Murphy said. тАЬTell them wives of yours I
mean it.тАЭ
тАЬI already did,тАЭ Reznick said. тАЬChrist, Ben, thereтАЩs times I canтАЩt believe any of
this.тАЭ
тАЬI know what you mean.тАЭ He shook his head wryly. тАЬFightinтАЩ in Africa, тАШbout to
be finished by the Cubans and we get picked up by a goddamn flyinтАЩ saucer. And
even then it donтАЩt make sense. This whole planet, none of it makes sense.тАЭ
тАЬExcept to Captain Galloway.тАЭ
тАЬYeah. I guess.тАЭ
тАЬHell, Ben, it was you said we ought to come here...тАЭ
тАЬYou agreed,тАЭ Murphy reminded him. тАЬI didnтАЩt twist your arm.тАЭ He grinned.
тАЬAnyway, I still think it was best. That paper the CapтАЩn sent us, it said he really
did understand things here. He knows why thereтАЩs people here, and what those
saucer critters want, and-тАЭ
тАЬAnd you can believe as much of it as you want to,тАЭ Reznick said. He paused a
moment, then matched MurphyтАЩs grin. тАЬAnd we both sure as hell want to believe a
lot of it.тАЭ
тАЬYeah. LetтАЩs go.тАЭ He led the way through the open gates.
The courtyard behind the gates smelled of burned gunpowder. It was packed with
people. Archers in kilts held them back to make a lane that MurphyтАЩs party could
ride through. тАЬLike MPтАЩs,тАЭ Murphy said.
тАЬBig deal.тАЭ Reznick squinted upwards. тАЬDonтАЩt look now, but thereтАЩs a sniper up in
the tower over the gate.тАЭ
тАЬYeah, I spotted him. DonтАЩt matter. ThereтАЩs a dozen of those archer types on the
wall up there, too. ThereтАЩs sure as hell only one way to play this now.тАЭ
The wall ahead of them was taller than the first, and the gateway through it was so
narrow they had to go single file. The gate itself was a long maze-like corridor,
with two twists barely wide enough for their mounts. Then they came out into an
inner court, empty except for half a dozen richly dressed courtiers.
тАЬWelcome,тАЭ one called. тАЬIn the name of Wanax Ganton, welcome to Castle
Edron. I am Parilios, Cham-berlain to Wanax Ganton and servant to the Lord
Pro-tector, in whose name I bid you welcome yet again.тАЭ
тАЬSounds good so far,тАЭ Murphy said. тАЬUh-we have come at the invitation of the
Lord Rick, Eqeta of

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Chelm, Great Captain General of the Forces of Drantos, Colonel of Mercenaries.