"Van Lustbader, Eric - Pearl 02 The Veil Of A Thousand Tears(eng)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Van Lustbader Eric)

The Gyrgon abruptly rose and strode to the balustrade. The silence stretched to a kind of breaking point, forcing Kurgan to turn and look. It seemed to him-and not for the first time-that Nith Batoxxx's posture had altered subtly from his normal very erect carriage. Was it his imagination, or were the Gyrgon's shoulders twisted slightly, one higher than the other? He rose and obediently followed Nith Batoxxx outside.
"This is why I have named you regent, Stogggul Kurgan. You are of such tender years to rule Kundala, but if I am any judge, you are the right one to rule."
"These Portals-"
"All you need know is that whoever brings me their location will be handsomely rewarded. Pray that it is you, Stogggul Kurgan."
Kurgan said nothing. He felt somehow as if he and the Gyrgon were doing a balancing act on a high wire in the dark. One false step, one word spoken out of place and he would fall into utter blackness.
Nith Batoxxx's gloved hand gripped the balustrade. "Hear me now, Stogggul Kurgan. I wish the construction of Za Hara-at to resume. This you will order posthaste. You will resurrect from its tomb the ancient city of the Korrush."
The voice sent a small shiver down Kurgan's spine.
"Yes, Nith Batoxxx." He knew when to acquiesce. Was there something here for him, a long-buried secret, a glimmer of the lever by which he would unlock the mysteries of the technomages' power?
"Cement your business relationship with SaTrryn Sornnn."
"I know he is the other major partner in the proposed construction," Kurgan said. "I know that my father agreed to move Bronnn Pallln aside, the leading candidate for Prime Factor, in order to name this young scion of the SaTrryn Consortium to this important office." He liked the initiative Sornnn SaTrryn had taken, liked that he hadn't been intimidated by the powerful Pallln Consortium. But what he liked best of all about Sornnn SaTrryn was ambition, a trait he could relate to without reservation. His own ambition was, after all, what had impelled him into an alliance with Olnnn Rydddlin. "Other than that I know very little about him."
"He is on familiar terms with the Korrush," Nith Batoxxx went on in his eerily disembodied voice. "He has been to Za Hara-at many times. These are vital assets."
To me or to you? Kurgan wondered. To the Gyrgon, he said, "May I ask why you have changed your mind? Up until now you have been the most vehement opponent of Za Hara-at being rebuilt."
"That was because of Ashera Eleusis." Nith Batoxxx's voice abruptly snapped back to normal. He turned to impale Kurgan's with his lambent crimson stare. "Ashera Eleusis was a dangerous heretic. He wished for an equality between V'ornn and Kundalan. That is why he is dead."
Why was Eleusis Ashera dangerous? Kurgan asked himself. How could any V'ornn be dangerous to a Gyrgon? Then something clicked inside his head. "It was not my father who engineered the coup that felled Eleusis Ashera. You did."
"I manipulated your father," Nith Batoxxx said. "Does that come as a surprise to you?"
"Not really, no. My father was weak-willed."
"Unlike you."
Was he being ironic? Kurgan wondered. Behind his back, his fist clenched white and trembling.
"Go now," Nith Batoxxx said with a dismissive gesture. "There is much for you to accomplish before darkness falls and the Rescendance begins."
What would you have me say, regent?" "First," Kurgan said, "get down on your knees."
He saw the brief flare in Jerrlyn's eyes before he acquiesced. He looked over the top of the bowed back of the Kundalan to scan the crowds lining the great hall. They were packed in between the immense gold-jade and green-porphyry columns. The columns were fluted. Their capitals were carved into the faces of fantastic creatures.
Jerrlyn was the head of the Fourth Agrarian Commune District. As such, he was a highly respected Kundalan among his race. This, of course, meant little to Kurgan other than arousing his curiosity as to just how deeply involved Jerrlyn was in the Resistance.
"Now," he nodded, "you may continue."
"What would you have me tell you?" Jerrlyn began again. "There have been thirteen deaths among my Commune this month alone. Last month there were only five. Have we displeased you in some way, regent?"
Kurgan sat forward. "Are you implying that I am in any way responsible for these deaths?"
"Not at all," Jerrlyn said hastily. "But the deaths are all unexplained, all from unnatural causes. It does seem likely that they were perpetrated by the Khagggun."
"What proof have you of this allegation?"
"My Commune is in terror."
"You have no proof. Just as likely the individuals were killed by your own Resistance forces. These extremists view you as collaborators."
"We have discovered ion-fire wounds on many of the dead."
"All the more reason to suspect your own Resistance. There has been over the past year an escalation in the theft of Khagggun weaponry from secured depots in and around the city." He smiled. "To date, we have not apprehended the perpetrators, but your pleas give me an idea.
If you would be so cooperative as to supply the names of those involved in the thievery, I would speak to my Star-Admiral. I am certain that I could convince him to guarantee the safety of your Commune."
"Then we would be collaborators."
Kurgan sighed as he sat back. "Jerrlyn, I grow weary of your whining. I have given you a solution to your problem."
"An unacceptable solution! I am the leader of the largest Commune on the north continent. We supply you with seventy percent of your foodstuffs."
"I know full well the percentages harvested from each of the seven Communes, Jerrlyn. After all, it is we V'ornn who carved up the territories and created the Commune system. It is so much more efficient than the helter-skelter structure you had in place. Each Commune has now tripled its output since inception. An impressive advance, even you must admit."
"Yes, but the bulk of the increase goes to feed the V'ornn populace, leaving us less than we had before. And then there is the matter of our tithes-"
"Ah, the tithes you pay us. Now we come to the heart of the matter."
"Your father increased the tithes just before he died. They are killing us."
"No," Kurgan corrected. "As I have pointed out, your own Resistance is killing you. Do what I ask and in addition to keeping your Commune safe I will consider rolling back the tithes."
Jerrlyn shook his head. "Even if I did know, I would not betray-"
Kurgan jumped up. "Then the tithes are doubled."
"What?" Jerrlyn was aghast. "Regent, I beg you-!"
"This outcome is a direct result of your own truculence. Do you think you are playing with an ill-informed dolt? I am nothing like my father. We shall now see what breaks your back. Do not return here with your piteous plaints until you are prepared to meet my terms."
At the imperious wave of his hand, a pair of Haaar-kyut detached themselves from their positions and took Jerrlyn away.
As soon as the Kundalan had been hauled from his sight, he gestured to the Star-Admiral to come to his side. Olnnn Rydddlin was tall and thin to the point of emaciation, with an unnaturally pale, pinched face, whose occasional baleful smile turned his eyes into fusion lamps. His formidable countenance was embraced by those who served under him, but there were many Bashkir who distrusted a V'ornn marked by Kundalan sorcery. Never mind that he was a brave warrior, had sacrificed his leg in single-minded pursuit of their enemies, Rekkk Hacilar and his Kundalan skcettta, Giyan. It was Giyan whose loathsome spell had stripped the skin, flesh, and sinew from that leg, leaving only bare bones. It was another Kundalan sorceress, Malistra, who had saved him. Now the Star-Admiral kept that leg unarmored. Through sheer force of will he had transformed the ensorceled bones from a source of embarrassment into his hallmark, a symbol of his bravery. And so the rank-and-file Khagggun loved him, this strange, ambitious, deeply bitter Khagggun not many years Kurgan's elder. But what of the high command, those upper-echelon generals and admirals far older and more experienced than he? How could they not hate him and envy him at least a little for his breathtakingly swift advancement over them? Kurgan had determined to keep a close eye on the Star-Admiral. Olnnn Rydddlin was the only other V'ornn who knew that he had plotted his own father's demise. To ensure that remained a secret he would kill even an ally because he knew better than most V'ornn the bitter choices ambition forced upon you.
To win is everything, the Old V'ornn had taught him. To win at everything is to be alone.
For the moment, then, he would treat Olnnn Rydddlin as a trusted compatriot, so that when the time came, before his power could become a threat, he could slip a knife between his ribs. Toward that end, he had already formulated a plan that fit in with his overall scheme to find some form of leverage he could use against the Gyrgon. What did the Gyrgon prize most? Stasis. It followed, then, that what they feared most was change, change from within. If that happened and if he could present them with a solution, he would have his leverage with them.
"It seems that you have been quite effective in terrorizing this Commune," he said with just the right amount of praise in his voice.
"Those were your orders, regent," Olnnn Rydddlin replied.