"Joanna Wylde - Dragon's Mistress" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wylde Joanna)

living in my territory, between the various planets, moons and stations. ItтАЩs not a large system, but weтАЩve
always enjoyed a high quality of life. ThereтАЩs no slavery here. My people are happy and healthyтАФhardly
any choose to emigrate to other worlds. We were even spared the worst of the war. My brother and his
men paid a high price to keep our young men out of the hands of Imperial recruiters.тАЭ

She nodded, starting to understand.

тАЬYouтАЩre afraid that if something happens to you, your people will suffer,тАЭ she said softly.

тАЬAfraid?тАЭ he asked, laughing with a harsh, barking sound. тАЬAfraid doesnтАЩt begin to express how I
feel about the Emperor taking control of this system. If I die, it passes into his hands directly. Then he can
start slowly milking my people of everything weтАЩve worked so hard to accomplish. Of course, if he
decides I've committed treason, things will get far worse. He has the option of liquidating the entire
population, you know.тАЭ

тАЬNo,тАЭ she whispered a wave of nausea washing over her. тАЬHe wouldnтАЩt do that.тАЭ

тАЬOh really?тАЭ Drake turned back to her, and for the first time that night she could see some real
emotion in his face. тАЬYou donтАЩt know what heтАЩs capable of doing. I am. I was raised with him, attended
school with him in the Imperial Capitol, Tyre. He counts me as a friend, at least for now. ThatтАЩs why IтАЩm
still alive. But he wonтАЩt tolerate my refusal to cooperate with him much longer. IтАЩve refused to go along
with his plans; IтАЩm the only one of his nobles with the courage to stand up to him. HeтАЩll kill me just as
easily as he had my brother killed.тАЭ

тАЬWhat plans?тАЭ she asked, afraid of the answer.

тАЬWell, he feels that the Saurellians have gotten too much power. He wants to start fighting them
again, to end the truce," he said. "That would be a disaster for our people. We don't have the strength, or
the right, to continue fighting. Do you know how the war started?тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩd heard the Saurellians attacked several systems in the disputed region,тАЭ she replied. тАЬThat they
were seeking new territory.тАЭ

тАЬNo, thatтАЩs just imperial propaganda,тАЭ he replied quietly. тАЬI think you know better than to believe
that. DidnтАЩt you hear another story while you were in Saurellian space?тАЭ

тАЬYes,тАЭ she said quietly, looking out over the city. тАЬIтАЩd heard that the Emperor had liquidated an
entire planet because their assembly refused to pay a new tax, and that the systems in the disputed
regions asked the Saurellians to protect them. I didnтАЩt believe it, though, at least not the whole story. The
Saurellians are very aggressive, and I had trouble believing the Emperor would kill billions of people over
taxes.тАЭ

тАЬThe Saurellians are aggressive, but they arenтАЩt greedy,тАЭ he said quietly. тАЬThey started fighting the
Empire because those people came to them, pleading for their lives. They knew theyтАЩd be next if the
Emperor had his way. HeтАЩll do it to Von'hotten, too, if he feels we're defying him. I have to stop that
from happening.тАЭ
 тАЬAnd how do you plan to do that?тАЭ she asked, turning to look at him directly. There was a sorrow
there, and deep compassion in his face. Compassion for her, she realized. A new wave of horror and
nausea swept over her, and she fell to her knees. She suddenly realized that the only way he could afford
to tell her this much was if he planned to kill her.