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

Although Tennetty quickly provided one anyway. "There are some people," she whispered softly, "who
are a bit concerned about your tender hide."

Ellegon provided another. *And since when are you so happy about where you are today?*

Shut up. I've got to think.

*OhтАФa new trick!*

Shush!



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There was a time when Karl Cullinane would have gone on a raid without worrying about the welfare of
the people he was raiding, but that was in the old days, when he was the leader of a Home raiding team,
and the victims were slavers in caravan.

Now, it was different: The guards here were his subjectsтАФalthough he did not like the wordтАФand an
emperor didn't just go around killing innocent subjects.

Hmmm... it was just as well that the baron clearly didn't expect trouble this quickly; instead of paying
attention to what they were doing, the two guards were chatting about what a bastard the new guard
sergeant was as they approached. Karl eyed their path and didn't like it. It looked like the guards were
going to come too close to his squad.

We don't need a whole lot of alarms being raised. Relay: Ten, what do you think of the idea of taking the
one on the left while I take the one on the right?

*From Tennetty: "What do I think? I think that's just about the dumbest idea you've had this year. Aren't
they going to get a bit suspicious when the two of us pop out of the grass? We need a diversion, not a
brace of panicky soldiers crying for help."*

Ellegon, can you read them well enough for a mindscream?

*Yes, but I'm not close enough to be sure it would really stun them.*

Wonderful Karl shrugged mentally. Okay, back to basics. Relay: Tennetty, you take that skinny kidтАФ

*"Hoften."*

тАФHoften, and work your way around behind them. When I get their attention, jump them, and do your
best to silence them, without killing. Understood?

*"Understood. Without killing."*

Karl didn't like it, but he'd have to count on Arondael's military commander being as sloppy about
training as he was about peacetime discipline.