"E. E. Doc Smith - D' Alembert 5 -Appointment at Bloodstar" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith E. E. Doc)

"Sure they are."

"Well, maybe a few of them are old friends," he grinned and Yvette laughed at his
embarrassment.

Before all of the women could have their chance to kiss him, however, they were being
elbowed aside by an equally friendly group of men, who proceeded to give Pias a series
of bear hugs so thorough that Yvette felt sure her fiancтАЪ's ribs would feel bruised for a
week. They pounded him on the back, kissed his cheeks, laughed and made what were
obviously ribald comments about all the things that must have happened to him while
he was away. Yvette found herself being pushed very much into the background, but
she didn't mind. This was Pias's show, and he should be given the chance to enjoy the
spotlight for a while.

One young man held back from the admiring group, and Yvette had the opportunity to
give him some attention. He was about the same height as Pias, though with darker,
straighter hair; he had a gold earring in his left earlobe and a neatly trimmed mustache.
There was a brooding melancholy about his eyes, quite the opposite of Pias's normal
cheerfulness, but otherwise his features showed a strong similarity to those of her
fiancтАЪ. From all Pias had told her, Yvette surmised that this must be Pias's younger
brother Tas. He was dressed in black coveralls, in stark contrast to the festive apparel
of the others.

After several minutes, Pias was finally able to break away from the throng of
well-wishers. Taking Yvette by the hand, he led her over to the comer where the other
young man stood. Pias embraced him, but the other's return embrace was purely
perfunctory. As Pias backed away again, he turned to his fiancтАЪe and said, in Empirese
so Yvette could understand, "This is my brother Tas. Tas, I'd like you to meet Yvette
Dupres from the planet DesPlaines."

Yvette had warned Pias against giving her real name, even to his family. Officially,
"Yvette d'Alembert" was still starring in the Circus of the Galaxy along with her brother
Jules. There had been a Jules and Yvette ever since the Circus had been formed, with
new performers taking over the roles every decade or so. The current pair were Yvette's
younger cousins, while the older Jules and Yvette were serving as SOTE's top agents.
Yvette had not even her name to call her own any more, but she hardly gave that a
thought. There was, after all, more to herself than just a name.

Tas Bavol gave her a look that would have made an ice cube shiver. "Pleased to meet
you," he said in Empirese with cold formality. His voice had a thick accent; he was
obviously unused to speaking the Empire's official language, though like most people in
the upper classes he had a thorough education in it.



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Pias could detect the hostility in his brother's voice, but deliberately ignored it. "Where's