"L. E. Modesitt - Adiamante" - читать интересную книгу автора (Modesitt L E)

I understood the unpulsed thoughts. Someone . . . and Crucelle had Arielle.
Rhetoral had Elanstan. Even old Mithres had Dmetra. Coordinators took the
risks. And with Morgen gone, I could certainly afford the compensatory time
that would follow, assuming that I didn't follow the unwilling precedent of
many Coordinators.

"And I'm that someone?"

"I could ask around. ..."

I understood that as well. "The cybs? Might as well be me. Thanks."

"Thank you."

"Hello, Arielle," I added as Crucelle finished.

"I told you he would accept." Her words carried the whispers of the winds,
winds that could have dwarfed the great storms that still swept the mighty
west ocean. Winds, not the singing bells of dawn and twilight that I needed.
"He needs a challenge bigger than his pain."

Crucelle snorted, or that was the sensation that I received. 'You did; he
does, and he will."

"Have they said what they want?" I ignored Arielle's net-flashed smile.

"Not yet," answered Crucelle, his phrases as precise as though transmitted on
a print screen. "They're scanning the locials, almost as if they can't figure
out why we have so few discernible instances of technology. We have a little
time before responding."

Arielle storm-ghosted out of the shadow-link with the hint of a wink and
another smile as I thought about the cybs.

"They're after revenge, obviously."

"Elanstan opts for conquest, but I'd picked revenge," agreed Crucelle. "In
what form, though?"
"Revenge isn't revenge if the victim doesn't know it. That's why the call."

"They could be cautious."

"What did they ask for?"

"Here's the whole transmission." With the short message also came the
information on the multiple sending methods, including those that had
scrambled more than a few draff datanets.

"Just a meeting . . . requested with the hint of immense power. Twelve ships
each two klicks long, each with an adia-mante hull." I found my lips pursing,