"Michael Stackpole "I, Jedi"" - читать интересную книгу автора
Our server came and took our order. She told us we'd made good choices, but the quick shiver running down one of her lekku suggested to me she'd rather drink rancor spit than have the roast gornt. I refused to let that intimidate me. УAnd a little extra of the gravy on that, please.Ф
As she whirled away, I fixed Iella with a stare. УWhat's going on between you two? You both seem to like each other and get along well.Ф
Iella frowned and picked at a thumbnail, which I recognized as a sign of her not being certain how to answer me. УI wish I knew. We definitely hit it off and he was very understanding when Diric returned and very supportive after Diric died. You know what our duties have been like, so there hasn't been that much time to get together. And now he has new responsibilities that take up even more of his time.Ф
УYeah, but you could convince him to make time.Ф
УI'd like to think so. I don't know.Ф She sat back and shrugged. УYou remember back when Inspector Sassich made CorSec chief? She was all of forty at the time, a great accom-plishment.Ф
I thought back. УShe ditched her husband, bought that chirq red ZRX-29 airspeeder and started taking personal training lcssons from those twins about half her age. I remember that.Ф УYou just wish you were one of the twins.Ф
УNo, at that point I just wished I could borrow the air-speeder.Ф I laughed. УI seem to recall my mother had a few choice things to say about her.Ф
Iella frowned. УYour mother actually said something critical of someone?Ф
УI didn't say that. As I recall my mother commented that the Incom ZX-26 would have been a more practical vehicle.Ф I shrugged. УThat's about as critical as she got. She always thought gossip was in such poor taste. However, your point about Wedge is what?Ф
УI think he's in that same sort of transitional phase of his life. For better than a decade he's been responsible for the life-and-death decisions that have cost a lot of people their lives. That's not saying someone else wouldn't have caused more people to die by making worse decisions-that's pretty much a given- but he's been going like that since before you joined CorSec. He's, what, two years older than you? That means he's had a lot of pressure since a time when you were still a kid. Given the death of his parents and his trying to make a living ship-ping . . .Ф
УAnd his time spent with Booster Terrik . . .Ф
У... right, he's never had a chance to cut loose and be himself. I think that's what he's doing and I'm not certain he wants that many reminders of his previous life around right now.Ф
Her analysis of Wedge's situation seemed to hit pretty well dead on, but she'd always been a good judge of character. УSo that means you're just going to back off?Ф
She nodded, then smiled at our server as the Twi'lek female placed our meals in front of us. УThat smells wonderful. Thank you.Ф
I glanced down at a bowl filled with gravy. A lump floated to the surface and a couple of bubbles thinned from brown to khaki, then burst. УAnd the thing is, I'm pretty sure this will be lots better than the academy food.Ф
The server gave me an УI told you soФ twitch of a lek and wandered off.
Iella popped a forkful of her mynock into her mouth, closed her eyes and sighed. УThis is really very good.Ф
The aroma of her meal wafted over my way, starting my mouth watering. To curb that behavior, I poked my fork at a lump of what I hoped was gornt, but it just sank away out of sight. УI'm so happy for you, Iella.Ф A growl from my stomach underscored my sarcastic remark.
She leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially to me.
УIt's your own fault. Twi'leks consider gornt to be tourist food.
You might as well walk into a cantina and order nerfmilk.Ф
УHey, I'd order it straight up.Ф
She laughed and I realized I was going to miss that sound. УIf I didn't feel I had to go to the academy, if I didn't feel my father wanted me to go, I don't think I would.Ф
УYes, you would, Corran.Ф She shook her head at me. УOnce you heard about the academy you would have been going- even if Mirax wasn't missing.Ф
УI was your partner, remember? You're very competitive, which can be cute and endearing at times, as long as someone stays out of your way. You want to know why you were the first person ever to escape from Isard's Lusankya prison? Because there was no way you were going to let her beat you.Ф УWhat's that got to do with the academy'?Ф
УYou've always wanted to be the best, and becoming a Jedi Knight will be that for you. Look at yourself. You're already beginning training before you begin training. You've figured out that Master Skywalker will be bringing in folks who are younger than you are, and you're already figuring out how to be better than they are.Ф
1 chewed on the gornt and thought. And chewed some more. Actually I was finding acknowledging the truth in Iella's words about as tough as the gornt I was chewing, and swallowing either would hurt. Despite the impending discomfort, I knew she was right. I swallowed the gornt, then coughed lightly and nodded to her.
She reached out and tapped a finger against my forehead. УThe one thing you haven't figured out yet is that the person you're really in competition with is yourself. Luke Skywalker will be a tough taskmaster. Of that I have no doubt. And I know Wedge was, but they weren't as hard on you as you'll be on yourself. I know you well enough to know you won't back off, so I just hope you remember that when you feel all that pressure on you, the majority is coming from right inside your thinkbox.Ф
I thumped a fist against my breastbone to help the gornt go down. УYou know, you could have told me this a long time ago.Ф
УI did. Several times. You weren't much into listening back then.Ф
I glanced down. УBack when my father died.Ф
УRight.Ф Her voice softened. УYou can learn a lot from Luke Skywalker. It may be part of being a Jedi, but he seems to work a lot from his heart, following his feelings. You work primarily in your brain. Thinking all the time is definitely you, Corran, and was very useful back in CorSec, but ! think you'll need to open up more with this training.Ф
I nodded slowly. УYou're probably right. I guess we'll see how long it takes for old habits to die.Ф
Iella rolled her eyes. УThat means you'll be a Jedi, what, about the time the sun goes nova?Ф УI get your point.Ф
УGood.Ф She gave me a wink. УWant to try some of this mynock?Ф
I looked back up and shook my head. УNope. I laid in my course, now I'll fly it. This gornt isn't bad once you get past the tasting, chewing and choking part.Ф
УYeah, tell me that in half an hour.Ф
That prospect began to sour my stomach. I sighed. УLook, Iella, I appreciate what you've just said, and just knowing you were here and would have helped me out with Mirax's disap-pearance, that was enough to help me keep going. I want you to know that.Ф
Her brown eyes studied my face for a moment. УI believe you.Ф
УAnd I want you to know I really do value your help. With the dye and with those rumors.Ф I forced my fork into a smaller piece of gornt. УI have a question that you can probably answer more easily than anyone else.Ф УGo ahead.Ф
УI've talked to everyone about my decision except for my grandfather. What are the chances, do you think, of my being able to slip onto CoreIlia, seeing him, and getting back out?Ф
She thought for a moment, then set her fork down. УI don't think anyone in the Diktat's regime is watching Rostek, so see-ing him wouldn't be a problem. You still do have the murder warrants out for your arrest, however. Kirtan Loor's legacy could still cause you trouble if you were to be identified and apprehended. As for getting in and out, the current govern-ment really isn't much better than any other Corellian regime at keeping smugglers out. With what you know about the sys-tem, you could manage to get in. The real problem is that with the relationship between the Corellian government and the New Republic being something less than a happy one, I wouldn't want to get caught on CoreIlia if I were you.Ф
УI see. I get the impression that the last hologram I sent my grandfather was chopped to bits before he got it. Even reading between the lines of what little of his return message got back to me, I know he didn't track a lot of what I said to him.Ф The new piece of gornt I started working on kind of forestailed further speech, so I just shrugged.
УIf you want, Corran, I'll see about finding you a secure com-munications route in to Rostek. Shouldn't tax our resources that much. That way you won't make a run and risk getting caught before you have a chance to train.Ф
I nodded, then chanced a swallow. УI appreciate it.Ф
'q don't mind keeping you out of trouble. That's what friends do for friends.Ф
УThanks.Ф I smiled up at our server as she asked if everything was to our liking. УOh yes, quite.Ф
Both her lekku shuddered. УAnd you would like a confection to finish the meal?Ф
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