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

She gave him a look. тАЬA hundred and seventy-five reasons not to surrender.тАЭ

Macnamara nodded and sat on a chair.

тАЬHow are people taking it?тАЭ she asked.

MacnamaraтАЩs open, friendly face clouded over. тАЬTheyтАЩre trying to ignore it, I think. I think theyтАЩre
telling themselves that the condemned were all military, and that it doesnтАЩt apply to them.тАЭ

тАЬAnd the hostages?тАЭ

On arrival in the city the Naxids had grabbed over four hundred hostages from the streets, and
announced they would be killed if any more acts of resistance were mounted.

тАЬPeople are still angry over the hostages,тАЭ Macnamara said. тАЬBut theyтАЩre starting to be scared too.тАЭ

тАЬThere are thirteen Torminel unaccounted for,тАЭ Sula said. тАЬAt least three action teams, plus their group
commander.тАЭ

Macnamara absorbed this news thoughtfully. тАЬHow do we find them?тАЭ

Sula could only shrug. тАЬHang around in Torminel neighborhoods till we hear something?тАЭ

It had been a facetious suggestion, but Macnamara took it seriously. тАЬA good way to get arrested.
Torminel cops are going to wonder what weтАЩre doing there.тАЭ



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 Williams, Walter Jon - [DEF 03] - Conventions of War

Especially as the Torminel were a nocturnal species. Terrans would very much stand out in their
neighborhoods, both at night when the Torminel were active or in the day when they werenтАЩt.

Sula gave it some thought. тАЬMaybe itтАЩs better if wedonтАЩt contact them,тАЭ she said. тАЬTheyтАЩve got all the
supplies they need to conduct a war right where they are. So do we. If weтАЩre not in touch, we canтАЩt give
each other away.тАЭ

Macnamara nodded. тАЬSo weтАЩre going to keep on fighting then,тАЭ he said.

The option to quit had always been there. To stay where they were and do nothing, to wait for the war
to end one way or another. No one would blame them, not once their superiors had died.

тАЬOh yes.тАЭ Sula could feel the tension twitching in her jaw muscles. тАЬWeтАЩre still at war. And I know just
where weтАЩre going to start.тАЭ

тАЬYes?тАЭ

тАЬWith Lord Makish of the High Court,тАЭ Sula said. тАЬThe Naxid judge who sentenced our friends to
death.тАЭ