"Philip Jose' Farmer. The Green Odyssey (англ.)" - читать интересную книгу автора

dreams! Jewels flow in their marketplaces like drops of water in a
cataract! Ah, if only the Emperor could be induced to organize a great
raiding fleet and storm its walls!"

"He remembers too well what happened to his father's fleet when he tried
it," growled the Duke. "The storm that destroyed his thirty ships was
undoubtedly raised by the priests of the Goddess Hooda. I still think that
the expedition would have succeeded, however, if the late Emperor had not
ignored the vision that came to him the night before they set sail. It was
the great god Axoputqui, and he said..."

There was a lengthy conversation which did not hold Green's attention. He
was too busy trying to think of a plan whereby he could get to Estorya and
to the demons' iron vessel, which was obviously a spaceship. This was his
only chance. Soon the rainy season would start and there would be no
vessels leaving for at least three months.

He could, of course, just walk away and hope to get to Estorya on foot.
Thousands of miles through countless perils, and he had only a general
idea of where the city was... no, Miran was his only hope.

But how...? He didn't think that stowing away would work. There was always
a careful search for slaves who might try just that very plan. He looked
at Miran, the short, fat, big-stomached, hook-nosed, one-eyed fellow with
many chins and a large gold ring in his nose. The fellow was shrewd,
shrewd, and he would not want to offend the Duchess by helping her
official gigolo escape. Not, that is, unless Green could offer him
something that was so valuable that he couldn't afford not to take the
risk. Miran boasted that he was a hard-headed businessman, but it was
Green's observation that there was always a large soft spot in that
supposedly impenetrable cranium: the Fissure of Cupiditas.

2

THE DUKE ROSE, and everybody followed his example. Jugkaxtr chanted the
formula of dismissal, then sat down to finish gnawing on the bone. The
others filed out. Green walked in front of Zuni in order to warn her of
any obstacles in her path and to take the brunt of any attempted
assassination. As he did so he was seized by the ankle and tripped
headlong. He did not fall hard because he was a quick man, in spite of his
six-foot-two and hundred ninety pounds. But he rose red-faced because of
the loud laughter and from repressed anger at Alzo, who had again repeated
his trick of grabbing Green's leg and upsetting him. He wanted to grab a
spear from a nearby guard and spit Alzo. But that would be the end of
Green. And whereas up to now there had been many times when he would not
particularly have cared if he left this planet via the death route, he
could not now make a false move. Not when escape was so near!

So he grinned sheepishly and again preceded the Duchess, while the others
followed her out. When they reached the bottom of the broad stone