"Russell, Sean - Initiate Brother 2 - Gatherer Of Clouds" - читать интересную книгу автора (Russell Sean)

pennants were unrecognizable.

Corporal Rohku waited with all the patience his young spirit could
summon. A second barge, a typical river craft, appeared in the
wake of the Imperial Barge, for that is no doubt what it was. Just
when the young guard thought he could bear it no more, a hint of a
breeze, a mere sigh, tugged at the pennants. Against a dark field, a
Choka hawk spread its wings, appeared to take a single beat, and
then collapsed as the fickle breeze died.

The guard was off at a run toward the GovernorТs Palace. As he
crossed the bridge, a young Botahist monk hurried past in the
opposite direction though the young soldier did not notice, let
alone return, the monkТs half bow. There was no time to be polite to
strangers. Jaku Katta had arrivedЧand several days before he was
expected.

Corporal Rohku pushed on, keeping up his pace until reaching his
destination, whereupon he spent several moments regaining his
breath before he could give his report with any show of dignity.

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General Hojo Masakado, Lord Shonto MotoruТs senior military
advisor, knelt so that he was between his liege-lord and the two
openings to the roomЧscreens leading to an outer room and the
balcony. It was an old habit, one which he had developed in
service to ShontoТs father during the Interim Wars. Having served
two generations of Shonto was a source of great pride to Hojo and
he often found himself comparing the two lords. Physically they
were obviously father and son, the high, broad Shonto forehead
seemed to miss few generations, and both lords were exactly the
same height and weight-slightly more than average in both.
Personalities differed, however. The father had been more
reserved and formal, a biographer and historian of some note; his
humor was dry and intellectual. Motoru was far less formal, more
inclined to a social life, enjoying the company of those much older
and noticeably younger than himself. He had the ability of great
leaders to make everyone comfortable in his presence.

Lord Shonto sat before a low table across from Hojo and the
Shonto family Spiritual Advisor, Initiate Brother Shuyun, each of
whom bent over the table in turn and examined three small coins
that lay on the fine-grained woodЧsquare gold coins with round
holes in their centers.

УThere is no question, Sire,Ф General Hojo said, Уthey are
identical.Ф

Shonto turned to the Botahist Brother, raising an eyebrow in