"Alexander Kazantsev. The Destruction of Faena (ГИБЕЛЬ ФАЭНЫ, англ.)" - читать интересную книгу автора

Yar Jupi addressed those present with a pompous speech in which he
spoke about the innate striving of the Superiors for peace and about his
agreement with the project for resettling Faetians on other planets to avoid
war on Faena.
He had brought as a gift to Peaceful Space an interplanetary ship.
Quest, ready for immediate lift-off together with an experienced astronaut
commander; he offered Um Sat the opportunity to lead the expedition to Terr.
Then he announced the Council of Blood's decision to consider Um Sat an
"honorary longface" with rights of the Superior amongst the Superiors. The
basis for this was research by the "historians" of Blood, who had
established that the name Sat in honour of the planet, marked with a noble
ring, was only given to the purest longfaces.
Um Sat was flabbergasted. The expedition to Terr was a reality. On
Danjab they had merely been arguing over how much to allocate for an
interplanetary ship for Terr, whereas he could now lead such an expedition.
But ... that falsification by the "historians"! The Dictator had not
disdained to use it so as to take Um Sat from the roundheads. The learned
Elder's first impulse was to turn down the Dictator's gifts; anyone else in
his place would have acted likewise, but he refrained. After all, he stood
for reconciliation, for the settlement of Faetians in space. How could he
say no to the Faetians and refuse to survey the planet Terr, which could
become their new home? Had he the right to display personal or racial vanity
to the detriment of all Faetian society? Would it not be more reasonable to
demonstrate the feasibility of space resettlement and divert the interest of
the workshop proprietors to building spaceships instead of manufacturing
torpedoes for a disintegration war?
In his answering speech, Um Sat controlled himself and expressed his
gratitude to Yar Jupi both for the interplanetary ship being handed over to
Peaceful Space and for the high rank bestowed on him, Um Sat. He promised to
think about the possibility of personally taking part in the expedition.
He despised himself, but considered that he was making a great
sacrifice.
The Dictator grinned and vanished through the gap in the wall with his
robot bodyguards. Overseas technology never failed.
Dm Sat announced an intermission in the work of the Peaceful Space
session. He needed to pull himself together and justify himself to himself.
Of course, he was still the same roundhead-true, inwardly confused,
devastated and now the owner of rights he did not need at all.
But these rights proved particularly necessary to his former pupil and
favourite, Ave Mar.


Dobr Mar, Ave's father, the Ruler of Danjab, felt ill at ease in the
round office with the vaulted ceiling. He was the
nine-hundred-and-sixty-second ruler who had moved in there.
An angular chin and a bony jaw on the intelligent face spoke of will
and energy; the fine mouth, turned down at the corners, testified to worry;
the bags under the eyes and the balding head with its remnants of greying
hair, to a hard life. He had been given the name Dobr (Kind) for his
coming-of-age. Until then he had borne his father's name. Terrible Mar, with