"Tepper, Sheri S - A Plague Of Angels - plangel4" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tepper Sherri)

Hero, much annoyed, dismounted and leaned on his lance, staring up at the giant as he tallied certain scars and traits against others remembered from the past. "I fought you once," he said conversationally, barely able to be heard above the yammering of the walkers along the wall, "at the siege of Bitter Mountain."
"You did," grunted the giant. "Not today, though. Griffin says not today."
"Griffin is your commander?"
A grunt in reply.
"Would you convey our request for a boon to your commander?" Another grunt.
Hero outlined his request, trying to follow Abasio's suggestion of being as complimentary and as nonheroic as possible, though he found it exceedingly difficult.
When he had finished, the giant nodded and began trampling out the fire with his bare feet. "I'11 tell'm," he mumbled. "You go on back. I'll telI'm."

Mitty and Berkli were roused from sleep by a messenger from Gaddi House who stuttered and waved his arms while trying to tell them what was happening. They wakened others of their people, some of whom they sent to the Domer laboratories and shops, some of whom they sent to the aid of the Gaddirs who were dismantling and moving weapons. The rest were told to hold themselves in readiness while Berkli and Mitty themselves went to Gaddi House to see what help they could provide.
Tom met them at the gates. "Council of war inside," he muttered. "The


386 Sheri S. Tepper

old man says we'll have to do what we can on our own. He's all of a sudden claiming to be no tactician."
"Not his kind of tactics," muttered Berkli. "I have a hunch that old one of yours usually takes a few decades to plan things and work them out, and that's when he's in a hurry."
"Tr~e," said Tom, unable to repress a smile. "Though once I saw him do something rather important in slightly over a year." He led them inside and introduced them to several Gaddirs who were rummaging through files and stacks of plans.
"You've no doubt worked with the walkers! What do you have in your shops that might be useful?" one of these persons demanded of Mitty, the moment he caught sight of him. "At the moment, we're thinking in terms of a field disrupter."
Mitty ran a hand through his hair as he did a rapid mental inventory. "I might have something," he said. "Can you send a few men back with me?"
Tom delegated this one and that one, who went off behind Mitty looking somewhat bemused. Berkli, who was left behind, got tired of twiddling his thumbs and went with Tom to the roof to see how the crew moving weapons was coming along, remaining there when Tom went down again to join Mitty and his group. Berkli was of help to no one, so far as he could tell. Since he could find nothing useful to do and it was impossible to sleep, he decided he might as well stay here where he'd have a good view of whatever happened, come morning.

Abasio had begun to fume with impatience long before the young Hero brought him to the canyon where the campfires of the gangers glowed palely beneath the lightening sky. The eastern horizon made a broken line against the sky by the time the Hero stopped, saluted Abasio with his sword, and pointed downward.
"A guard there," he whispered.
Abasio slitted his eyes, eventually spotting the sentry beside a giant fir tree. He started to express his thanks, but the young Hero was already gone, back the way he had come.
Abasio kneed Big Blue toward the tree.
"Give the password!" challenged the sentry in a voice so loud that it provoked a squeal among the walkers up the hill.
"I need to talk to CummyNup," growled Abasio. "Tell him Abasio is here."
Silence. "Abasio the Cat?" asked the sentry in an awestruck voice.
Abasio grimaced. "I suppose," he muttered. "Just tell him Abasio. And don't tell anyone else.t"


A PLAGUE OF ANGELs
387 The sentry departed. Abasio dismounted stiffly and crouched on his heels
beside the tree.
~ "Bas/o?" came a whisper from behind him.
~ "CummyNup!,,
i They embraced, pounding and insulting one another after the manner of
~ men.
Where s TeClar?" demanded Abasio.
CummyNup looked at his feet. "He dead, Abasio. You know that Starlight
stuff you got from Whistler'? TeClar, he knew where you put it. While
over at the house, he took a bitsy drop, jus' to try." you
~ "Oh, no, CummyNup!,,
"It make him real horny, Basio. So he go to the songhouse, and then he feel bad, so he take some other stuff. On the trip, I see him gettin' worse
and worse. One night he jus' die."Abasio could find no Words.
"You gonna fight with us?" asked CummyNup, changing the subject.
you gonna get us all away from here 'fore the fightin' starts?"
"?'rI think this time I have to fight," said Abasio with a wry shake of his
head. "That's why I came."
"Figured so," sighed CummyNup. "Men think they're here rescuin' you