"Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman - StarShield Book 1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weis Margaret)

werenтАЩt for the severe mischievous and, some said, malevolent streak that firmly ran through her. Why
get mad, she believed, when you so very, very good at getting even? Kiria was very seldom mad.
тАЬNeskat!тАЭ she said brightly with a keen edge to her words. тАЬYouтАЩre being far too antisocial for
your own good. WhatтАЩs so important that you have to sit here on the bridge like some old stoic?тАЭ
тАЬJust watching the stars go by, Kiria.тАЭ
The impish woman strolled with exaggerated casualness in a complete circuit around the com-
mand chair and gazed over the low railing into the depth of light and color sliding by. тАЬOh, yes, another
glorious interstellar vista,тАЭ Kiria said with a mock yawn. тАЬItтАЩs breathtaking тАФ no, really it is. What a
joy to be traveling the stars again.тАЭ
MerindaтАЩs smile at the affectation was most involuntary and quickly suppressed. тАЬWell, thank
you for your enthusiasm.тАЭ
тАЬEnthusiasm?тАЭ Kiria shook her head violently until her short, straight hair threatened to whip
her face. тАЬHere Master Lord of the Inquisition shows up, you go into a fainting spell . . .тАЭ
Merinda bristled.
тАЬ. . . and now weтАЩre all off on this delightful holiday retreat the purpose of which тАФ say, that
reminds me,тАЭ Merinda said, her grin taking on a hungry aspect, тАЬjust what is the purpose of our little
picnic?тАЭ
тАЬHonestly, Kiria,тАЭ Merinda swung her chair back to face the forward display crystals, knowing
better than to look at her, тАЬI donтАЩt know what you mean.тАЭ
Kiria wouldnтАЩt be put off so easily. She grabbed the high back of the chair and swung Merinda

┬й Copyright 1997 by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman / All Rights Reserved. Page 19
around to face her. тАЬHere, IтАЩll try to make it clear for you. Dex Libris Gildesh gets called away for a
conference in the Plenethica Provinces. Nothing unusual in that тАФ except that old Gildesh had already
accommodated a conference on our own Tentris three weeks ago and normally wouldnтАЩt be due for a
conference for another six months at least. Then old Rockjaw shows up тАФ big inquisitor for the Omnet.
He wantтАЩs to commandeer our entire shift to help him on some secret mission тАФ so secret that appar-
ently weтАЩre supposed to carry it out for him without knowing just what weтАЩre supposed to be doing.
Ooh! Scary!тАЭ
тАЬтАШVestis walk before the Librae,тАЩ Kiria тАФ you know that! ItтАЩs the third Law of Nine,тАЭ Merinda
glared. тАЬWe arenтАЩt supposed to question an inquisitorтАЩs mission or his judgment тАФ just support him in
whatever he requests.тАЭ
тАЬRight,тАЭ Kiria said with a cutting edge to her voice as she stood upright, folding her arms across
her chest. тАЬSo, blind, deaf and dumb we walk into Tentris. We just got a bogus report back from the
Citadel there . . .тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩve seen OscanтАЩs flagged filing.тАЭ Merinda shook her head slowly. тАЬItтАЩs just some error in the
Citadel reflect synths.тАЭ
тАЬMaybe,тАЭ Kiria nodded knowingly, тАЬbut did you look at the conclusions. That world may be the
site of one massive holy war within days тАФ if EvonтАЩs conclusions are correct тАФ and weтАЩre going to
merrily dance into it just because old Rockjaw says so. Look, Merinda, IтАЩve been through this sort of
thing on my own world. War is a terribly short word for the chaos of pain, horror, blood and barbarity
it represents. These people arenтАЩt up to it, Kiria тАФ Oscan certainly isnтАЩt тАФ and youтАЩve got a responsi-
bility to these people. WeтАЩre being set up, Librae Neskat, by a green, still-wet-behind-the-ears Vestis
who barely shows any difference between his mouth and his . . . his . . . what are you looking at?тАЭ
Merinda shuddered. Her eyes had focused beyond Kiria before flicking back, wide and in alarm.
Kiria didnтАЩt move, her mischievous face still set on MerindaтАЩs look. тАЬHeтАЩs standing right behind
me, isnтАЩt he?тАЭ
Merinda nodded slowly.
Kiria grimaced and turned slowly.
Queekat Shn-dar filled the hatchway with his gray jumpsuit, gripping the top frame with both