"Martha Wells - City of Bones" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wells Martha)

тАЬYouтАЩre good with threats and promises. DonтАЩt think I havenтАЩt noticed.тАЭ Khat let his eyes wander
over the domeтАЩs mosaic, the view much better here than on the floor with the plebs. The border pieces
were old, far older than the center with its not-terribly-inspired rendition of an ElectorтАЩs ascension, and
were probably scavenged from whatever structure had occupied this site before the theater. Charisat and
the other Fringe Cities were depicted as islands in shallow freshwater seas, the way they had been over a
thousand years ago before the Conquest of the Waste over the Land. The artist had peopled the seas
with strange and colorful swimming creatures and dotted the mild blue skies with large bladderlike air
bags that carried passengers in baskets slung beneath them. This section of the mosaic was undoubtedly
valuable. The discoloration around the cracks told him it couldnтАЩt be removed from the wall without
destroying it, which was a pity.
тАЬIf you think IтАЩll let you go so easily, youтАЩre much mistaken,тАЭ Lushan was saying. тАЬIf you donтАЩt
continue with your part of our arrangement, IтАЩll have a conversation with a certain Trade Inspector I
know who willтАФтАЭ
тАЬAnd when he hears about your part of our arrangement?тАЭ Lushan hated to be interrupted, which was
why Khat did it so often.
тАЬFoolish boy, why should he believe you?тАЭ LushanтАЩs smile was malice itself.
тАЬHe doesnтАЩt have to believe me. But heтАЩll have to believe the Patrician.тАЭ
тАЬPatrician?тАЭ
тАЬThe one IтАЩm working for now.тАЭ The lie grew, blossomed. тАЬHeтАЩs inherited a collection of Ancient
relics, and IтАЩm valuing it for him.тАЭ When Khat was younger, he had found it difficult to get used to the
idea that he could lie to city dwellers while looking straight at them, and the shifting color of his eyes
would tell them nothing. Now he didnтАЩt have that problem. тАЬI told him you wanted me to work for you,
but he saidтАФтАЭ
тАЬWhat?тАЭ LushanтАЩs voice grated.
тАЬThat I wouldnтАЩt have the time. IтАЩd hate to have to tell him different. You know how they are.тАЭ
Lushan slammed the cup down on the table, cracking it and spilling wine onto the matting. The servant
girl winced. тАЬYou will tell him nothing, you bastard kris.тАЭ
There was no point in staying any longer. Khat stepped over to the flimsy door in the copper screen.
тАЬIтАЩll send someone with the coin. It may be a few days. I hope you donтАЩt need it to pay your bill here.тАЭ
The second cup in the set came flying at him, and he ducked out the door.
A short flight of steps led up to the brass-railed gallery running above the private balconies. The great
dome curved up overhead. Below, the milling crowd was applauding the fakir, who had now climbed to
the top of his magically stiffened rope and was standing on his head, supporting himself with one finger on
the frayed end. Khat ran along the gallery, ignoring outcries as he was spotted by wealthy patrons in the
other balconies below. He reached the first vent, which was long and only a few feet wide, starting about
eight feet up the wall and ending just before the base of the dome. Khat jumped and caught the bottom of
the sill, pulling himself up onto it.
The night air was wonderfully fresh after the heat inside the theater. The flat roof spread out below
him, and the rise of the Third Tier was behind him, blocked by the height and breadth of the dome. There
was a shout behind him, and he scrambled out of the vent and landed down on the slate-flagged roof.
He crossed the wide expanse, surefooted on the slick surface, the warm wind pulling at his clothes
and hair. No one came after him. Lushan would not want to draw attention to himself by sending his
vigils, and the theater owners would only care about getting the intruder off the gallery and away from the
private balconies; they wouldnтАЩt be much concerned with how he left, as long as he did.
Khat reached the waist-high wall formed by the uppermost portion of the theaterтАЩs pediment and
leaned on it, enjoying a unique view of the street below, and thought, IтАЩm glad thatтАЩs done. He had been
an idiot to get involved with Lushan in the first place, which Sagai and the others would certainly point out
to him if they knew. But not knowing was the only protection for them, if Khat had ever been caught
stealing relics from the upper tiers.
It only remained to see if the mysterious Patrician lived up to his part of the bargain. Or if I live