"Jack Vance - The Gray Prince" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vance Jack)

тАЬFive.тАЭ

тАЬSo long? How time goes! I never really understood why you went flouncing off to Tanquil. Your father

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 THEGRAYPRINCE

is a dinosaur, of course, but heтАЩs a dear for all that, even if he refuses to come across to Olanje. What can
he find to amuse him in Uaia? A wilderness, a dreadful emptiness!тАЭ

тАЬCome now, Aunt Val, itтАЩs not that bad! In fact Uaia is full of magnificent scenery.тАЭ

тАЬPerhaps so, but why Uther and the others insist on living out where theyтАЩre not wanted, IтАЩll never
understand. Morningswake is like a border fortress.тАЭ

тАЬSomeday you should come pay us a visit,тАЭ said Kelse.

Valtrina gave her head a decisive shake. тАЬI havenтАЩt been to Morningswake since I was a girl. Your
grandfather Norius was a gentleman of style for all of being a land-baron. He hosted several
partiesтАФrather stuffy occasions, to be absolutely candid, and took us for a picnic to an enormous pillar of
red rock; whatтАЩs it called?тАЭ

тАЬThe Skaw.тАЭ

тАЬThe Skaw, of course. And when the tribesmen came past and looked at us, the aliens who had taken their
land, I felt frightened and oppressed, for all the space. It was as if we were besieged!тАЭ

тАЬOur Aos have never given us trouble,тАЭ said Kelse patiently. тАЬWe help them and they help us. Neither
resents the other.тАЭ

Valtrina gave her head a smiling shake. тАЬMy dear boy, you canтАЩt possibly divine what goes on in an Uldra
mind. Of course they resent your presence, even though they show you blank faces. I know, because I
have Uldra friends! But I shouldnтАЩt remonstrate with you; youтАЩre just a boy. Come along then, IтАЩll
introduce you to my friends. Or perhaps youтАЩd prefer just to wander about?тАЭ

тАЬWeтАЩd rather just wander,тАЭ said Kelse.

тАЬJust as you like. Have Alger fix you drinks. Kelse, please donтАЩt draw a gun and shoot my erjins; their
names are Sim and Slim and theyтАЩre extremely expensive. WeтАЩll have a good chat later on this evening.тАЭ
Valtrina moved off to welcome a new group of guests; Kelse took SchaineтАЩs arm and led her to the buffet
where Alger the steward dispensed refreshment, using formulas older than memory. Kelse and Schaine
accepted goblets of punch, and paused to take their bearings. Schaine saw no one she knew among the
guests. Half a dozen Uldras were present: tall, thin, long-nosed bravos, their slate-gray skin dyed
ultramarine, their wads of pale russet hair confined within the tall spikes of a fillet.

Kelse muttered to Schaine: тАЬTrust Aunt Val to be fashionable; in Olanje no party is complete without an
Uldra or two.тАЭ

Schaine retorted: тАЬWhy shouldnтАЩt Uldras be invited to parties? TheyтАЩre human.тАЭ