"Vance, Jack - Gaean Reach - Demon Princes 03 - The Palace of Love" - читать интересную книгу автора (Vance Jack)

Alusz Iphigenia looked dubiously at the appurtenances of the
booth. On a plank a brass urn bubbled furiously, flanked by brass
drinking pots. Shelves displayed a hundred glass jars containing
herbs, roots and substances impossible to identify.

"All clean and salubrious," Edelrod declared cheerfully. "Rest
and invigorate yourselves. 1 will return with good news."

Alusz Iphigenia wordlessly seated herself on a bench. After con-
sultation with Edelrod's grandmother, Gersen procured pots of
mildly stimulating verbena tea. They watched a caravan trundling
in from the steppe, first an eight-wheeled wagon carrying the
shrine, the cabin of the hetman and brass tanks of water. Behind
were several dozen other wagons-some large, some small-motors
rumbling, clacking, whining. All carried astounding superstructures
at the very peak of which were tented living quarters, with goods
and bales loaded below. Some men rode motorcycles, others
lounged on the wagons, which were driven by old women or slaves
of the tribe. Children ran behind, rode bicycles or dangled peril-
ously from the understructure.

The caravan halted; women, children arranged tripods, hung
up cauldrons and began to prepare a meal, while slaves unloaded
goods from the wagons: furs, rare woods, bundles of herbs, chunks
of agate and opal, caged birds, tubs of raw gums and poisons, and
two captive hankap, the near-intelligent creature which furnished
the Sarkov sport known as harbite Meanwhile the men of the tribe
gathered in a quiet suspicious cluster to drink tea and glower toward
the ba/aar where they expected to be cheated.

Edelrod stepped briskly forth from the caravanserai. Gersen
grumbled to Alusz Iphigenia, "Here he comes with six reasons wh)
the business will cost more money."

THE PALACE OF LOVE

Edelrod procured an infusion of scorched a)ol from his grand-
mother. He sat down and silently began to sip.

"Well?" asked Gersen.

Edelrod sighed, shook his head. "My arrangements have been
for naught. The Chief Monitor declares the interview impossible."

"Just as well," said Gersen. "I only wished to bring him the
condolences ofViole Falushe. It will make small difference one way
or another. WTiere will he cooperate?"

"At the Poison Inn, as diversion for the Convenance, which