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

that ran away south with Warner and Gengrich. They just showed up at the gate,
dressed up like rich southern merchants and attended by some women and
bullyboys. Murphy told the officer of the guard that heтАЩs got a present for the
Eqeta of Chelm, the great Captain General of the Host of Drantos-тАЭ
тАЬHumph.тАЭ
тАЬHell, heтАЩs layinтАЩ it on thickerтАЩn glue, CapтАЩn. But I think youтАЩll like the present.
ItтАЩs all wrapped up in silk and gold cloth, but itтАЩs about yay long and maybe this
big around-тАЭ
тАЬThe recoilless!тАЭ
тАЬCould be,тАЭ Mason said. тАЬIt just could be. Any-way, heтАЩs downstairs in the entry
hall. I checked with Elliot and we had the chamberlain give him wine and some
chow, and I figured IтАЩd better get you before that Camithon gets at him.тАЭ
тАЬYes. Good thinking. IтАЩll come.тАЭ He started toward the door.
тАЬNot without we dress you proper,тАЭ Mason pro-tested. тАЬWait, CapтАЩn. IтАЩll help you
into your armor.тАЭ
тАЬI do not need armor.тАЭ
тАЬHell you donтАЩt,тАЭ Mason said. тАЬCapтАЩn, now dammit I mean it, donтАЩt you go down
there without your mail shirt. Here, take the pistol off. ThatтАЩs it. Now duck-тАЭ
Despite RickтАЩs protests, Mason eased him into a shirt woven of tiny metal rings.
тАЬDamn thingтАЩs too heavy,тАЭ Rick said.
тАЬWasnтАЩt heavy it wouldnтАЩt do much good,тАЭ Mason said. тАЬHere, lift your arm-тАЭ
Deftly he buckled RickтАЩs pistol and combat knife under his captainтАЩs left arm.

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тАЬNow you look proper.тАЭ
тАЬAnd feel like an idiot.тАЭ
тАЬNo, sir.тАЭ Mason was emphatic. тАЬYou gotta be practical.тАЭ
IтАЩve been practical all my life, Rick thought. I do the sensible, practical thing, and
I feel like a coward half the time.
Mason saw RickтАЩs expression. тАЬCapтАЩn, you donтАЩt know what Murphy wants. I
grant you, he probably didnтАЩt come to make trouble. Not coming inside the gates
like that. But Christ, CapтАЩn, this whole place is about to explode. Ambassadors
from both Roman out-fits. That diplomat from the Five Kingdoms, heтАЩs noth-ing
more than a spy-hell, theyтАЩre still technically at war with us! Not to mention our
own nobles. WasnтАЩt an hour ago I had to disarm two of those barons, Dra-gomer
and Kilantis-тАЭ
тАЬWho?тАЭ
тАЬCouple of the barons who went over to Sarakos,тАЭ Mason said. тАЬTook advantage
of the amnesty after we beat Sarakos. They come from the north central hills.тАЭ
тАЬYeah. I remember,тАЭ Rick said. тАЬHard to blame them for going over, being that
close to the Five King-doms and all. Why disarm them?тАЭ
тАЬFighting over something. I didnтАЩt bother to find out what. Just got their dirks.тАЭ
тАЬThey drew steel in the palace?тАЭ
тАЬYeah.тАЭ
тАЬWhere was Wanax Ganton?тАЭ
тАЬUp watching the fireworks,тАЭ Mason said. тАЬHell, CapтАЩn, if theyтАЩd drawn weapons
while the kid or the old geezer was there IтАЩdтАШve done a lot more than dis-arm