"Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon - Valdemar - Darians Tale 03 - Owlknight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

trotting him about from entertainment to entertainment,? Starfall agreed. ?We
can arrange things so that the people he will need to know spend a good portion
of time with him in the beginning, then anyone who is curious can come to meet
him. Will that make preparations easier for you, Ayshen??

?Oh, yes, and after I?ve had a look at him, I can decide which hertasi to assign
to him.? The hertasi sighed. ?Only one fancy, decorated serving table to set up.
The rest of you never notice my artistic efforts anyway.?

?We do,? Starfall insisted. ?You just overwhelm our ability to praise with a
superfluity of talent!?

Ayshen simply gave the Mage a withering look by way of reply. ?So - how does
this strike you - we have the actual welcoming ceremony at the entrance of the
Vale. Everyone will fit there easily enough since the weeds were cleared out
last season. Then, we take the Heralds and our other guests to the Council House
and feed them. We let them talk for a while, and when it sounds as if the talk
is running out, I run in some entertainment. Then a little more food - and so on,
until he gives up for the night. We can pick foods that will make him drowsy
quickly, which reduces the amount of entertainment needed on such short notice.
He?ll leave to doze after just a few hours.?

?Which will be long before any Tayledras would give up,? Darian laughed. ?That
sounds perfect, Ayshen.? He grinned wickedly. ?Then, the next day, when he?s
been properly softened up for us, we give him to Tyrsell and have him stuffed
with our language, Ghost Cat?s, and Kaled?a?in, all at once.?

Starfall gave him a look of mock-horror. ?I thought you liked Heralds!?

?I do - that?s why I suggested the languages come in all at once. It won?t take
Tyrsell that much longer to give them all to him, and the headache won?t be that
much worse, after. Better to get it over with, I say.? Darian mimicked Starfall?s
look of horror. ?Well? Wouldn?t you rather have it all at once than strung out
over several days? I should think that after the first experience, the
subsequent dread would make the next sessions worse.?

Starfall nodded, then turned to face the hertasi upon hearing a low hiss.

?We were discussing the celebration,? Ayshen reminded them pointedly, baring his
teeth for emphasis. ?Now just how, precisely, would you suggest we greet him??

?Just that,? Darian replied. ?Greet him as our guest. Our welcome guest, our
equal, who will be joining the leaders already here in their efforts to foster
harmony among otherwise different peoples. He?ll already be on best behavior to
impress when he rides up, so having a good turn out but little ceremony would
make him feel appreciative that he must not endure trial after trial. Getting
his disposition in our favor right away would be valuable.?

?And you thought you didn?t have the talent to become a leader!? Starfall
exclaimed. ?Listen to you!?