"Joel Rosenberg - 04 - The Heir Apparent" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rosenberg Joel C)

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Garavar drew himself up to his full height. "My apologies, your majesty," he said to Karl. "You were
right; I was wrong. It worked."

"As usual," Karl said.

"For those born luckier than they've any right to be," the general shot back. And then added: "Sire."

But he was smiling. And that was usual.

Karl returned the smile, then sobered as he raised his voice and turned to Arondael. "Baron, I'll need to
speak to you privately at your earliest convenienceтАФas long as your earliest convenience is right now."

Arondael had recovered most of his composure as he sat in his high-backed chair, a cup of hot tea
warming his hands.

Karl wasn't thirsty, he'd said.

Actually, without his wife or a reliable cleric to check for poison, he wasn't about to trust Arondael's
food.

Ellegon, from his perch on top of the keep, might be able to probe the baron's mind, but there was no
guarantee that some subject of Arondael's might not decide to ingratiate himself with the baron by
poisoning the emperor, and Karl wouldn't have wanted Ellegon to subject himself to the odious task of
probing hundreds of minds simply so that Karl could have a cup of tea.

"What I don't understand, majesty," Arondael said, sipping nervously at his tea, "is the necessity for all
this... commotion."

"Did you get my letter of last tenday, Arondael?"

"Yes, of course, sireтАФa response is on its way to the capitol."

"You'll notice that I asked that you visit me at Biemestren yesterday, Baron."

"Your majesty, as I said in my response, things have been so busy here thatтАФ"

"I want all my barons visiting me regularly, when summoned."

There wasn't a better way to prevent treachery than to insist that Karl's nobles show up at the capitol
every now and then, effectively surrendering themselves to his mercy.



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