"Chalker, Jack L - Changewinds 3 - War of the Maelstrom" - читать интересную книгу автора (Chalker Jack L)

precisely twelve noon, our time here, progressively around alt
of Akahtar. You must not give me any excuses or objections,
General. I tell you that if we do not attack then we may never
be able to attack. There is a new and potentially fatal element
in our game and only this timing will block it."

The general clearly didn't like it, but he made no objec-
tions to the basics. "Still, though, I am uneasy and so will
our allies be at the lack of a truly valid test. It is one thing to
create dust-devil changewinds in me deserts and high country
here and there, but an Akhbreed Loci is a totally different
matter. They will not rally, sir, in sufficient force to do the
job, unless it can be proven that a hub, an Akhbreed hub,
guarded by a great Akhbreed sorcerer and supported by thou-
sands of lesser ones, can be as easily taken out. I mean no
disrespect to you, Ma'am, or to you, sir, nor do I reflect my
own confidence in saying that. It is a practical matter."

"The masses are sheep. General! You do not need any
mystic powers to hear them hewing, nor to know that there
arc precious few wolves. We are all either predators or prey,
General. You have only to pull the right levers to get the
sheep marching to the slaughterhouse, one by one. If you can
not do that, then you are a sorry wolf indeed and perhaps not
the man to lead this great crusade."

The General was not intimidated. "Then give me that
lever. Give me something so startling that there can be no

10 Jack L. Chalker

resistance. I can move them, but distance and die need for
secrecy ties my hands. Give me something that will not
betray us but which will none the less be so loud I will not
have to raise my voice to reach the farthest colony of Akahlar. *'

The sorcerer nodded. "Very well. I have been itching to do
this ever since we managed to contain Boolean inside Masalur.
I was going to do it anyway, but you and others pressed me
not to out of fear it might tip our hand. I think we can do it so
that it will not. I think we must do it, both for the reasons you
name and to eliminate the only effective threat we have.
Without Boolean, the threat is lessened greatly. Without the
giri, it is effectively eliminated."

"Then you intend to move against Masalur as a demonstra-
tion," the general said more than asked.

"I do. It will be an excellent test no matter what, and we
might just eliminate Boolean in the process, although I fear