"Will McDermott - Magic the Gathering - Odyssey Cycle 03 - Judgement" - читать интересную книгу автора (McDermott Will)

"Yes, Empress?" asked Veza, still kneeling.
"I said, 'You may rise, Ambassador Veza.' " repeated the empress.
"Thank you, Empress," replied Veza as she regained her feet. Ambassador, thought Veza? What just
happened here? Veza followed the empress's entourage out of the royal hall, down a luminescent, shell-like
corridor, and into the royal dining room.
 "Sit next to me, and we shall discuss your first assignment, Ambassador," called the empress from the
head of the procession.
"Yes, Empress," replied Veza automatically. But her mind was already racing ahead, trying to deduce
the meaning behind her appointment as ambassador. It's obvious, actually, thought Veza. I am to be outcast
once again. Emperor Aboshan sent all of the mer away out of distrust, or fear, or loathing. That's how
Laquatas became an ambassador to that backwater Cabal City, and that's how I ended up as a lowly
harbor master.
Veza took her seat next to the empress and continued pondering as she worked her way through the
kelp salad and krill sauce. The empress came to me because I was an outsider to both courts, thought
Veza. She knew she could trust me. I had no power base of my own. Now that the civil war is over and
Laquatas's forces are imprisoned, Llawan has no need for my loyalty, so she's sending me away again.
"I suppose you are wondering why we have made you an ambassador, Veza," began Llawan as her
attendants cleared the salad orbs to ready for the main course.
"The question had crossed my mind," replied Veza.
"Yes, we could tell you were lost in thought," remarked the empress. "You do tend to chew on your
lower lip when you are pondering a difficult problem. I'm surprised you have any skin left on that lip after all
the problems you have solved for us."
Thank you, Empress. You are too kind," said Veza as she thought to herself, here it comes. Damn
with faint praise to soften the blow, and then lower the boom.
"We have a very important mission, actually two very important missions for you. But, unfortunately,
to accomplish these missions, you will have to leave us ... for a time," continued Llawan. "I need you go to
Aphetto and be my ambassador to the southern Cabal. You leave tomorrow."
"Another mer ambassador to the Cabal, Empress?" said Veza as she took a sip of jellyfish wine from
her bulb to bolster her courage. "Aren't you afraid that I will turn on you as Laquatas turned on Aboshan?
Are you that ashamed of my presence here that you would risk that?"
"My dear, we would keep you by our side always if we could. Yours is the best counsel we receive.
This is not a punishment. We need your loyalty again, Veza. We need you to be our eyes and ears within
the Cabal. We hope that the First does look upon you as another Laquatas. For if he does, he will greatly
underestimate you."
Into the awkward silence that followed, the attendants brought forth the main course for Veza's
farewell banquet, stuffed sea cucumbers and steamed anemones.
"Veza," began Llawan again after taking a few bites of the twin delicacies. "My dear friend, Veza.
We ... I need you in Aphetto now. But you will return and stay by my side when all this it finished."
"Yes, Empress. But must I leave so soon? I am still having some trouble with my ... ankle."
"Yes, Veza," replied the empress. "Laquatas's forces will not remain trapped in the prison we have
fashioned for him forever. We know him too well. And when he does escape, he will try to reestablish his
contacts in the Cabal. It is vitally important that we get there first."
*****
Laquatas once again floated near his desk, scanning the map that lay there. Only this time it was a
map of all Otaria.
"We are nearly there, Burke," the ambassador said to his stoic companion. Laquatas knew Burke
would not answer- could not answer. He had neither vocal cords nor lungs to push air past them. But that
made Burke the perfect companion. Burke listened to all of the ambassador's ideas and never once
contradicted his master.
"The engineers should break through today, and then we will be free," continued Laquatas. "But what