"S. M. Stirling - Draka 05 - Drakas!" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stirling S. M)

Von Shrakenberg waved his hand. "Perhaps. But the Sudan is part of the Domination now." He smiled
in a friendly, non-Draka way. "At least, we lay claim to it. It's two-thirds desert, one-third swamp, and in
actuality not at all controlled by us. It's easy to say that it's ours; it's another thing tomake it ours."

"Many nations have said that about the Sudan through the millennia."

Von Shrakenberg nodded. "There's this man who calls himself the Mahdi. Have you heard of him?"
Gordon shrugged. "There've been scores of Mahdi's over the years. Islamic fundamentalists calling for
overthrow of the current government. This one seems more successful than most. I know that he's
managed to unite most of the tribes. No doubt he desires to remove the Draka from the Sudan in the
name of Allah."

"No doubt," von Shrakenberg said, "he's succeeded. He and his dervishes have this past week
destroyed a Janissary legion eight thousand strong. Completely. Or so it seems."

Gordon sat back in his chair.

"Impressed?" von Shrakenberg asked. "So are we." He eyed Gordon speculatively through a cloud of
aromatic cigar smoke. "You can do us a service, Gordon."

"How so?" he asked, but his mind was already harking back to the hellish country where he'd spent two
years of his life galloping back and forth on racing camels, trying to bring civilization to a nation that was
determined to remain uncivilized.

"You know the area quite well. Undoubtedly, you still have contacts there. Men you can call upon.
Perhaps men who know this Mahdi himself, personally. It wouldn't hurt if we knew more about him,
perhaps even somehow brought him to our side. After all, we're reasonable men. Men from many nations
have become Draka." Von Shrakenberg shrugged. "And the sooner there is peace on the Nile, the
sooner you can began to build your dam."

Gordon and von Shrakenberg locked eyes for a long moment.

"And this is the consensus of your people?" Gordon asked.

"It is." Von Shrakenberg paused. "Generally. There are those who favor a more . . . direct . . . solution
to the problem of the Mahdi."

"Direct?" Gordon asked.

"Direct. Unmistakable. Brutal. Kill them all and let the valkyries sort them out. Myself, I find such an
approach wasteful of resources. But the Security Directorate . . ." Von Shrakenberg shook his head.
"They're a newly organized arm of the Domination . . . and ambitious. Be wary of those who wear the
black, Gordon. Be wary of everyone, but especially those who wear the black."

Gordon nodded. "I see. What exactly do you suggest?"

Von Shrakenberg leaned forward eagerly. "I have a dirigible waiting in Alexandria. We can have you in
Khartoum in a matter of days. Officially the situation has been handed to the Security Directorate, but it'll
take time to get their menтАФand another armyтАФin place, and then time, of course, to pursue their hunt of