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

Schaine decided to change the subject. тАЬKelse, IтАЩve invited Elvo Glissam to Morningswake.тАЭ

тАЬElvo Glissam? The SEE advocate?тАЭ

тАЬYes. HeтАЩs never seen a wild erjin. I told him weтАЩd find one for him. Do you mind?тАЭ

тАЬWhy should I mind? He seems decent enough.тАЭ

The three returned to the main salon. Glancing across the room Schaine noticed a tall young Uldra in the
robes of an Alouan chieftain, though the robes, rather than red or rose or pink, were unrelieved gray. He
was a man remarkably handsome, with a skin blue as the sea and hair bleached glistening white. Schaine
stared in shock and wonder, then turned wide-eyed to Kelse. тАЬWhat is he doing here?тАЭ

тАЬThatтАЩs the Gray Prince,тАЭ said Kelse. тАЬHeтАЩs seen everywhere around Olanje.тАЭ

тАЬBut howтАФwhyтАФтАЭ

тАЬIn some fashion,тАЭ said Kelse, тАЬhe was encouraged to become the savior of his race.тАЭ

Gerd Jemasze gave a snort of sardonic amusement, and Schaine became furiously angry with both. Gerd

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 THEGRAYPRINCE

was innately a boor; Kelse had become as crabbed and obstinate as her fatherтАжShe took command of
herself. Kelse, after all, had suffered the loss of a leg and an arm. Her own lossтАФif тАШlossтАЩ were the
appropriate wordтАФwas trivial in comparisonтАжThe Gray Prince, swinging his gaze around the room, saw
Schaine. He tilted his head forward, then jerked it back in a motion of glad surprise. He strode across the
room to stand in front of Schaine.

Kelse said in a bored voice, тАЬHello, Muffin. What brings you here?тАЭ

The Gray Prince, throwing up his head, laughed. тАЬтАШMuffinтАЩ no more! I must reckon with my public
image.тАЭ A trace of Uldra accent gave his voice a gay and urgent quality. тАЬTo the friends of my childhood
I am тАШJorjolтАЩ, or if you insist upon formality: тАШPrince JorjolтАЩ.тАЭ

тАЬI hardly think weтАЩll insist upon formality,тАЭ said Kelse. тАЬYou probably remember Gerd Jemasze from
Suaniset.тАЭ

тАЬI remember him most distinctly.тАЭ Jorjol took SchaineтАЩs hand, bent his head and kissed it. тАЬYou can still
call me тАШMuffinтАЩ if you like butтАФтАЭ he looked around the room; his gaze, slipping past Kelse and Gerd,
relegated them to the background тАЬтАФIтАЩd prefer not here. Where have you been? Has it been five years?тАЭ

тАЬQuite five years.тАЭ

тАЬIt seems forever. So much has changed.тАЭ

тАЬYou seem to have done very well for yourself. YouтАЩre the talk of Olanje, so I understandтАФalthough I
wasnтАЩt aware that the Gray Prince was Muffin.тАЭ