"Martha Wells - Fall of Ile-Rien 03 - The Gate of Gods" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wells Martha)

Princess Olympe, took his place at the table. He was tall, sharp-featured, with carefully cut gray-white
hair. He met GerardтАЩs gaze steadily, as if letting the sorcerer know his reaction hadnтАЩt gone unobserved.

Gerard pressed his lips together. тАЬNo, I wonтАЩt walk out. They would know it for an empty gesture.тАЭ
They would know Gerard wouldnтАЩt desert the people who depended on him, no matter how great the
provocation.

Nicholas stepped past them, commenting dryly, тАЬThis surprises you?тАЭ

Tremaine set her jaw and studied her feet in her uncomfortable new shoes. She supposed it made a
horrible kind of sense. They were desperately short of sorcerers, and only the most skilled were able to
successfully build Viller spheres, the only things that made resistance to the Gardier possible. Even with

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every available sorcerer at work constructing them, there were still far fewer than they needed to repel
an invasion of Capidara, liberate Lodun and the rest of Ile-Rien and protect their ally Parscia. To people
who didnтАЩt know IxionтАЩs history, it must seem mad not to make use of him. Ignoring Nicholas, she said,
low-voiced, to Gerard, тАЬThe request to give up our weapons takes on a new aspect.тАЭ

тАЬYes, doesnтАЩt it,тАЭ Gerard agreed, his expression grim. Nicholas had moved on, finding a seat at the front
row of tables, near the outside aisle. Tremaine caught GerardтАЩs sleeve, hauling him to an empty place in
the middle row, anxious not to be the only ones left standing. She wanted to give Gerard time to recover.

As everyone found a place, the Capidaran minister, a grim-faced older man, stood on the dais, saying, тАЬI
donтАЩt think I need explain the gravity of our situation to anyone here. The Low Countries, their colonies
in the Maiutan islands, Parscia and Bisra have all suffered terrible losses. Adera, and now Ile-Rien, have
fallen.тАЭ

Unexpectedly, Tremaine felt her stomach clench. Was this the first time someone had said it aloud? The
minister paused, staring inquiringly at Tremaine. She stared back blankly, then realized he was actually
looking at Gerard, seated next to her, who had raised a hand. The minister asked, тАЬYou have a
comment?тАЭ

тАЬI have a question,тАЭ Gerard corrected, and Tremaine rubbed her brow to shield her expression, hearing
that tone in his voice.

тАЬYes?тАЭ

тАЬWhat is he doing here?тАЭ The question was pointed and obviously directed at Ixion.

The minister threw an unreadable glance at the Syprian sorcerer. It was Count Delphane who answered,
тАЬHeтАЩs offered to help defend Capistown from the Gardier.тАЭ

Gerard shook his head slowly, incredulously. тАЬYou must be out of your minds.тАЭ

Ixion spread his hands, the picture of reason. тАЬI have never done anything but defend myself.тАЭ He spoke
Rienish with less of an accent than Ilias and the other Syprians did; he had learned it from his captors the
same way he had learned the Gardier language on the Isle of Storms.