"Kristine Smith - Kilian 1 - Code Of Conduct" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith Kristine)

from barely moving lips, all trilled r's
and fuzzed hard consonants. "Insthead, you ar-re her-re in the rain."

"Yes, ni GentaтАФI don't like speeches," Jani replied as she returned Genta's greeting
gesture. And
I have some nerves to walk off. But a Haarin wouldn't know a nerve if it reared up
and bit him in the
ass, so no use mentioning that. "Why aren't you in the gathering hall? Tsecha's born
VynsharauтАФ
they've always been friends of Haarin. You might like what he has to say."

Genta held a spindle-fingered hand to his face and brushed water from his hairless
cheeks. His stare pierced Jani. She, of all people, should have been used to it by
now, but the direct gaze of idomeni
eyes, dark irises surrounded by more lightly colored sclera, could still disconcert.
Looking strangers
in the eye was taboo for all born-sect idomeni, but the NorthPort Haarin were
adopting the custom
as a matter of good business. The fact that it rattled the hell out of most humans had
nothing to do
with it. Of course not.

"I did not wait for Vynsharau to tell me to live with humanish," Genta said, "and I do
not need what Vynsharau says now to work with humanish." Like all his fellow
world-men, he became much more intelligible when he had a point to make. "NiRau
Tsecha is not for Haarin. He is not for Vynsharau,
or even for idomeni. He is for something here"тАФ he thumped the middle of his
stomach, where most idomeni believed the soul residedтАФ "and to fight for such
does not extend GateWay rights or alter contract law." With a distraded gesture of
departure, he started back down the street. "It will be bad
for business," he continued, his rumbling voice deadened by the fog. ''Bad, as it was
before. Even now
it startsтАФwhere are all the ships these past weeks? No good can come from this. No
good." With that, Genta disappeared into the swallowing mist, leaving Jani alone in
the rain.


***

Eventually, she returned to the human side of town. She wandered from storefront to
storefront,
finally joining a small crowd that had gathered in front of a communications shop.
Every holoVee
screen in the window contained the image of Prime Minister Cao.
"And now, fellow ministers, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen," Cao
paused, drawing out the moment, "it is my honor and my privilege to introduce His
Excellency, ambassador of the Shera worldskein, of the Vynsharau and of all
idomeni peoplesтАФ"

"Sects," Jani muttered.