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

slights as though they were not there. Still, the knowledge that Pias's family was
rejecting her hurt considerably. She could only begin to imagine what it was doing to



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Pias.

They were almost finished with the meal when a beautiful dark woman seated down
near the end of the, table stood up and glared at Yvette. "I challenge the presence of
this gadji in our midst," she said.

There was a muffled gasp down the long table as the various diners reacted to the
statement. Beside her, Yvette could see Pias struggling to remain calm as he said,
"Gitana, stop making a fool of yourself."

Gitana now looked at him. "I claim you, Pias. I claim you by the oaths you took many
years ago and by the fact that you were my sister's fiancee."

She then looked straight back at Yvette. "Is there any real woman who would dispute
my claim?"

Yvette refused to be daunted. With an expression of supreme calm, she said softly,
"Pias is a free human being. He chooses his own consorts. No one has the right to
claim him for anything."

"Stay out of this, Eve," Pias whispered. "Traditions are different here. You'll only make
things worse." Yvette's words had already inflamed Gitana beyond the point of reason.
"Who is this gadii who seeks to instruct me? Am I not daughter of Stiggur, of a noble
line and lineage? Am I not of the chosen family for Pias Bavol's mate? Would she deny
me my rights by all our ancient customs?"

With a quick flick of her wrist, Gitana sent a dagger hurtling through the air at Yvette.
The female SOTS agent gauged its flight path with an experienced aerialist's eye, and
did not twitch a muscle as the dagger landed mere centimeters from her hand and
sheathed itself in the tabletop.

"If she insults me thus, let her back up her words with actions," Gitana raged. She had
another blade in her hand, and was in a fighter's crouch.

Yvette was taken aback by this sudden turn of events. She didn't know much about who
this Gitana was, but she was being placed in the position of having to fight for the_ man
she wanted. From Gitana's pose, she was obviously skilled at fighting with knives-and
she was deadly serious about this duel.

CHAPTER 4
The Duke of Melenaria