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

recalled that Kelse had never been overfond of their Aunt Val. He asked: тАЬShall I call a cab?тАЭ

тАЬLetтАЩs walk. Everything looks so beautiful. IтАЩve been cooped up aboard theNiamaticfor a week.тАЭ She
drew a deep breath. тАЬItтАЩs wonderful to be back. I feel like IтАЩm home already.тАЭ

Kelse gave a sour grunt. тАЬWhy did you wait so long?тАЭ

тАЬOhтАФvarious reasons.тАЭ Schaine made a flippant gesture. тАЬObstinacy. Willfulness. Father.тАЭ

тАЬYouтАЩre still obstinate and willfulтАФso I presume. Father is still Father. If you think heтАЩs changed, youтАЩre
in for a shock.тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩm under no illusions. Someone has to give in, and I can do it as easily as anyone. Tell me about Father.
What has he been doing?тАЭ

Kelse considered before answering: a trait Schaine could not recall from five years ago. KelseтАЩs youth
had passed all too swiftly, she thought. тАЬFather is by and large the same. Since youтАЩve been gone thereтАЩs
been a lot of new pressure, andтАФwell, youтАЩve heard of the Redemptionist Alliance.тАЭ

тАЬI suppose so. I donтАЩt remember much about it.тАЭ

тАЬItтАЩs a society based here in Olanje. They want us to tear up the Submission Treaties and leave Uaia.
Nothing new, of course; but now itтАЩs a fashionable cause, and in the тАШGray PrinceтАЩ, as he calls himself,

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 THEGRAYPRINCE

they have a fashionable figurehead.тАЭ

тАЬтАШGray PrinceтАЩ? Who is he?тАЭ

KelseтАЩs mouth twitched in a crooked grin. тАЬWellтАФheтАЩs a young Uldra, a Garganche, with some
education; heтАЩs voluble, quaint and vivaciousтАФin fact, heтАЩs the darling of all Olanje. No doubt heтАЩll be at
Aunt ValтАЩs party this evening.тАЭ

They passed an expanse of blue-green sward, extending from the avenue up the slope to a tall mansion
with five gables, towers to right and left, a fa├зade of mustard-yellow tiles relieved by slabs of glossy
black skeel: a structure conceived in eclectic caprice, yet impressive by virtue of sheer size and a certain
careless magnificence. This was Holrude House, seat of the Mull. Kelse gave his head a gloomy shake.
тАЬThe Redemptionists are up there now, trying to indoctrinate the MullтАжI speak figuratively of course. I
donтАЩt know that theyтАЩre in Holrude at this specific instant. Father is pessimistic; he thinks the Mull will
eventually issue an edict against us. I got a letter from him this morning.тАЭ He reached into his pocket.
тАЬNo, I left it at the hotel. HeтАЩs planning to meet us at Galigong.тАЭ

Schaine asked in perplexity: тАЬWhy Galigong? He could as easily meet us here.тАЭ

тАЬHe wonтАЩt come to Olanje. I donтАЩt think he wants to see Aunt Valtrina; she might make him come to a
party. ThatтАЩs what she did last year.тАЭ

тАЬIt wouldnтАЩt hurt him. Aunt ValтАЩs parties were always fun. At least I liked them.тАЭ