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

тАЬTrue,тАЭ said Kelse. тАЬStill, heтАЩs a more complex person than you might think.тАЭ

Jorjol reflected a minute. тАЬI remember your father principally as a man dominated by the strictures of
etiquette. Who knows what sort of person he really is?тАЭ

тАЬExternal events have shaped us all,тАЭ said Kelse.

Jorjol grinned, showing teeth whiter than his hair, in gleaming contrast to his blue skin. тАЬNever! I am I,
because I have willed myself thus!тАЭ

Schaine could not restrain a nervous laugh. тАЬHeavens, MuffinтАФJorjolтАФGray PrinceтАФwhatever your
name isтАФyour intensity startles us all!тАЭ


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 THEGRAYPRINCE


JorjolтАЩs grin diminished somewhat. тАЬYou know me for an intense person.тАЭ From across the room Valtrina
called him; he bowed, and with a final quick glance at Schaine took his leave.

Schaine heaved a sigh. тАЬQuite true; heтАЩs always been intense.тАЭ

Erris Sammatzen came to join them. тАЬYou seem to know the Gray Prince intimately.тАЭ

тАЬYes, thatтАЩs Muffin,тАЭ said Kelse. тАЬFather found him out at the edge of the Retent when he was little: heтАЩd
been abandoned. Father brought him home and put him into the care of an Ao bailiff, and we all grew up
together.тАЭ

тАЬFather always had a soft spot for Muffin,тАЭ mused Schaine. тАЬWhen we were caught in some really
flagrant mischief, Kelse and I would get a whack or two, but Muffin always got off with a lecture.тАЭ

тАЬActually,тАЭ said Kelse, тАЬthatтАЩs not so much forbearance as the etiquette we just heard about. One never
strikes a Blue.тАЭ

Sammatzen glanced across the room to the group of Uldras. тАЬThey look pretty formidable. I donтАЩt think
IтАЩd want to strike one.тАЭ

тАЬHeтАЩd kill you with a knife, but he wouldnтАЩt strike back. Among the Uldras only women fight
barehanded; woman-fights are a popular spectacle.тАЭ

Sammatzen looked curiously at Kelse. тАЬYou donтАЩt like the Uldras very much.тАЭ

тАЬI like some of them. Our Aos are well-behaved. Kurgech the shaman is one of FatherтАЩs cronies. WeтАЩve
put a stop to the woman-fights and a few other unpleasant customs. They still work sorcery which we
canтАЩt stop.тАЭ

тАЬIt would seem that Jorjol wasnтАЩt brought up as an Uldra.тАЭ

тАЬHe wasnтАЩt brought up as anything. He lived with the Ao bailiff, but he took lessons with us and played