"E. E. Doc Smith - D'Alembert 10 - Revolt of the Galaxy" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith E. E. Doc)

real reason why he couldn't stay on Newforest, and his brother used that as a weapon against him.
Accusing Pias of abandoning his family and the traditional Gypsy lifestyle, the brother had a
council of elders - with Pias's father, the Duke of Newforest, sitting in judgment - declare Pias
a nonperson. He was cast out of the family and no one on the planet would have anything to do with
him. Pias Bavol, who should have had the title of marquis and should have become Duke of Newforest
at his father's death, had been wiped from his people's minds as though he'd never existed.
More than once during the last few years, when the planet Newforest was mentioned, Vonnie had seen
Pias go cold and quiet. She'd tried to imagine what it would be like to have her entire family and
every childhood acquaintance suddenly ignore her very existence, to have shopkeepers turn away
from her when she tried to order something, to suddenly become a phantom in the world of the
living. The pain would be more than she could bear, and she'd always marveled at Pias's strength
to shoulder such a weighty burden in order to stay with the woman he loved.
Somehow, with the love and support of his new family and his job as a secret agent of the Service,
he'd built a new life for himself that hardly ever touched on the old one he'd lost. And now,
without warning, into that new life came a painful reminder of all he'd left behind: a sister,
obviously in some kind of trouble, needing his help after scorning him all these years. That had
to be a nasty shock - yet, knowing Pias as she did, Yvonne was sure he wouldn't turn his back on
such a plea.
Vonnie tried hard to recall what Yvette had told her about Pias's family, and particularly about
his sister Beti. There wasn't much, just that Beti had been a teenager when Yvette met her and
seemed pleasant enough at their one encounter, before Pias was ostracized. It was not enough
material on which to form an opinion; Vonnie would have to wait until they arrived at her father's
house and the situation was more fully explained.
The Roumenier baronial estate was in the middle of a small park in the northeast quarter of
Nouveau Calais. Pias landed their copter on the heliport roof and Vonnie led him and the children
down the familiar stairs into the home where she'd grown up. A servant told them the baron and his
guest were awaiting them in the. drawing room.
Beti Bavol looked up the instant they walked into the room, and an electric current passed through
the air between brother and sister. Vonnie noticed that Beti was a very pretty girl, and the
resemblance to Pias was unmistakable.
The silence seemed to drag on forever, until Pias finally broke it. "Hello, Beti," he said.. His
voice was quiet, subdued, as though he were speaking from a great distance.
"Pias, I ..." Beti hesitated, then rethought what she'd been about to say. "You're looking well,."
she said formally.
"You look so different I'd hardly recognize you," Pias told her. "So grown up. Of course, it's
been years. ..." He realized he was touching on a delicate subject and his voice trailed off
indecisively. Trying to fill the conversational gap, he added, "This is my sister-in-law, Yvonne,
and her son Maurice. And ... and look, Yvette and I have produced a niece for you, little Kari."
Beti's eyes went wide, and for the first time the tension in her face began to ease. "Oh Pias,
she's darling. Come, let me hold her."
As Pias brought the child over to his sister, Beti continued, "Where is Yvette? Is she well? Are
you and she still together?"
"She's away on business right now," Pias said care fully. "I'm sure she'd be glad to see you again
if she were here."


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Baron Ebert Roumenier cleared his throat. He was shrewd enough to know when his presence was not