"Walter Jon Williams - Dread Empire's Fall 03 - Conventions of War" - читать интересную книгу автора (Williams Walter John)

The executions continued, messy and bloody now that the executioners were tired. Sula told the video
wall to turn off. She had learned all she could.

Despair fell on her like soft rain. Her mouth was dry. She dragged herself to the kitchen and poured a
glass of water, and saw the bottles of iarog├╝t piled casually on a shelf. Iarog├╝t was the cheapest drunk
available, a palatesearing rotgut with a sickening herbal scent, the least attractive form of alcohol Sula
knew, but still the sudden urge to drink struck her with the force of a hammer. One or two bottles, she
thought, and the whole nightmare afternoon would spin away into chemical oblivionтАж

Her heart throbbed in her chest. Her knees felt watery. She turned and walked back to the front room,
clutching her glass of water as if it were her savior. She took a sip, and then another.

Jangly music floated into the room through the open window. тАЬItтАЩsyou, тАЭ cried a voice from the
bedroom. тАЬItтАЩs never been anyone butyou! тАЭ

Sula opened the bedroom door and looked at Spence, who was sprawled on her bed, her wounded leg
on one pillow, her straw-colored hair strewn over another. тАЬItтАЩs over,тАЭ Sula said. тАЬYou can turn down the
volume now.тАЭ

Her voice probably had more bite than sheтАЩd intended. Over the last few days sheтАЩd had her fill of
SpenceтАЩs romantic videos.

тАЬYes, my lady!тАЭ Spence said in proper military style, and from a position on the bed that approximated
attention commanded the wall to silence.

Sula was embarrassed by SpenceтАЩs overreaction. тАЬLucy,тАЭ Sula said. тАЬCall me Lucy.тАЭ It was her cover
name. Then, тАЬDo you need anything?тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩm all right, Lucy, thanks.тАЭ Spence shifted her sturdy hips on the bed.


file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry%20kruisw...pire's%20Fall%2003%20-%20Conventions%20of%20War.html (8 of 530)19-2-2006 4:05:31
 Williams, Walter Jon - [DEF 03] - Conventions of War


тАЬRight,тАЭ Sula said. тАЬCall if you want something.тАЭ

Sula closed the door and returned to the figures sheтАЩd scribbled on her pad. There was a tap on the door,
and then it opened to reveal Constable Second Class Gavin Macnamara, the third member of her action
team. Tall and curly-haired and ingenuous, he had been Team 491тАЩs runner, traveling through the city on
his two-wheeler to collect and distribute messages. But that had been in the days when there were people
to send messagesto. Now he wandered ZanshaaтАЩs Lower Town at random, collecting what information
he could.

He glanced at the video wall as he entered, his expression tentative. тАЬIs it over?тАЭ he asked.

тАЬYes.тАЭ

тАЬHow was it?тАЭ