"Peter W. Prellwitz - Shards Universe - Promise Tide" - читать интересную книгу автора (Prellwitz Peter W)

The river looped again for the fifth time in as many minutes. The rocky bottom allowed me to make
good sightings, so I could move at a good speed. Unfortunately, I was swimming upstream, and it
was a very active river, so I wasnтАЩt making much better than fifteen knots. A flash of movement and a
brushing of slight water patterns against my skin told me I had reached a small school of trout, also
heading upstream. They scattered at my approach, but regrouped once I went by them. Further
upstream, I heard the harsh ping of a sounder. Kendall had said they would put one in the water to
mark the location of the meeting, thinking I needed it. I smiled to myself. What they didnтАЩt know
could hurt them.

Badly.

I had them now. There were four of them, all within ten meters of the sounding device. I couldnтАЩt tell
anything more about them from this distance. Pisces arenтАЩt pixies, after all.



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Peter W. Prellwitz - Shards Universe - Promise Tide (v1.1)


I was still in midstream, some sixty meters from shore. I was tempted to surface briefly and look them
over more carefully, but didnтАЩt want to risk being seen. IтАЩd only said IтАЩd be there within three hours,
and gave no specific time. Two of those hours had passed. How fast I could swim was something I
didnтАЩt want to share just yet.

TheyтАЩd chosen the eastern point of the island, where the split river joined again. I swam upstream
another kilometer, then made for the bank.

Surfacing carefully, I continued breathing water while just showing my eyes and top of head. I
wouldnтАЩt be surprised to see theyтАЩd posted a lookout.

They had, but he was two hundred meters further west, at the other end of the island. I left him alone.
Pisces werenтАЩt devils, either.

I swam slowly to the edge of the bank, remaining flat until the last moment. A wisp of cloud drifted in
front of the moon and I stood and entered the thin woods. Five minutes later, I was crouched at the
edge of a clearing, studying the small group who still stared intently into the water.

тАЬYouтАЩre sure she was coming?тАЭ a male voice said. He had authority.

тАЬYes, sir.тАЭ That was Kendall. тАЬAs sure as I can be. The Pisces are a difficult people.тАЭ

тАЬDoes that matter?тАЭ a third oneтАФa manтАФoffered. тАЬSheтАЩs only one-quarter Pisces. How much of their
cultures and abilities can you give her?тАЭ

тАЬAll of them,тАЭ the leader answered sharply. тАЬI met her once about ten years ago, when I visited the
Knowler Mansion during a social gathering. She was only eight or nine, but she already had the
mannerisms, speech and movements of her grandfather. Other than her hair, she looked as much
Pisces as him. And Knowler wasnтАЩt backward about showing how pleased he was. His two kids had
turned their backs on the culture.тАЭ