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The Verge Of An Empire 23
“Sebastine,” I said when we were far enough away, “keep an eye on no one's ears. So, Darksad, lay out who ordered you to follow the chief inspector and for what? I hope you don't play around and waste my time.- Oh, no way! But the truth will not suit you, tan el'Moria. I did not follow the late Wolfeld. What's more, I didn't even know it was him. Do you believe me?I see that you are not lying.“Oh yes, that creepy thing of yours to see other people's thoughts.I can't see, read, or hear anyone's thoughts, but I didn't correct him.- Tell me in order.- OK. Does the name Emil Hockenheim mean anything to you?- Industrialist, entrepreneur, respectable citizen. He is not noticed in anything, is not interested in politics, earns money and lives happily ever after. Why is he here?“Yesterday I did a job for him. Not in profile. Hockenheim hired me as a bodyguard and guide along the bottom.Was he in the Day yesterday? What did he forget here?Darksad smiled and pointed south, into the di
The Verge Of An Empire 24
Wolfeld was only the first casualty in a string of brutal murders that rocked Starkrar over the next five days. Three corpses in the End, one in the Bird Market, another one in Koposhilka, right next to the railway tracks. So the passengers of the passing locus had the pleasure of contemplating a terrible sight - a skinned human carcass. And that… in one damn night! Like a hurricane-butcher swept over the city. No witnesses, no evidence. All of Starkrar learned about the series of brutal murders. The next night there was a double murder on the border of Cherny and Gary, and an entire family was slaughtered in the Lowlands. Everywhere the same handwriting - severe beatings and pieces of skin cut from different parts of the bodies. A family from the Lowlands were the Dahorachs. The killer broke into their house in the middle of the night, when they are most vulnerable, and was able to deal with two adults, strong and determined, protecting their family. Newspapers clung to this news lik
The Verge Of An Empire 25
When I was already at the door, I heard the mocking voice of the Emperor:“And don't worry too much about civil wars and the collapse of the empire, el'Moria boy, I have one trick up my sleeve that will beat this ridiculous combination. Go, and don't forget that there will be a place left for you in my grandstand when the parade begins.Victor's return parade... very soon. And I forgot about him! When I went to the reception, the secretary handed me two papers, which I did not expect. The first was a document allowing the Night Watch to take into custody two subjects who had just been stripped of diplomatic immunity, and the second was an invitation to Wolf Island. Today."Did everything go well, master?"“Even better than it could be. Find us a carriage, we're going to Wolf Island, but before that, to Lamblet, to the Tower.After crossing the Estra, then driving through the wide and very busy streets of Eddington, we got to Lamblet, to the palace of Scoalt Yard. There, rising to my r
The Verge Of An Empire 26
“It’s… it’s… it’s a sick old turkey, not the great Kulburo Feris!”The creature, lying on the floor under the wall, squirmed as my maid lightly kicked it with the sharp toe of her boot. What we saw was an old sick creature, flabby, with tarnished disheveled plumage and cracked cere. It was once a glittering Arani with bright red plumage, a huge curved beak and a wide wingspan, and now ...“It hurts to look at you, old man.“Then shut up and turn your back,” he croaked, finally waking up and sitting up with difficulty. Feris pulled a long-necked wooden flask from the pocket of his stinking cloak, nuzzled it with his beak, coughed nastily, and put it back. - Who are they? I don't know you... Go...“Kulburo Feris, is that your name?”- It was mine.- What is your name now?- A? Now? Ha! Now more and more often they call me Hey You and the Old Drunkard, and these are only those names that I am not ashamed to recall ... reproduce ... call in the presence of a lady!“Hmm, the day is full of
The Verge Of An Empire 27
They appeared, osh-zan-kai wearing their unit's standard assault armor, helmets, breath masks, and long heavy rifles at the ready. They became a convex line, blocking the entrance, and everyone arrived, arrived, and then he appeared among them, slowly walking, surrounded by guards, jingling chains, a huge man in a black cloak, whose face I could not see. For a moment, my left hand was taken away, the cane almost fell out. Heart attack? Heart attack? No, not the time! Not now!- Osh-zan-kai, the ratio of lups and people is seven to one, armed with shortened assault carbines of the latest generation with underbarrel bayonet-knives for more convenient combat in confined spaces."What are you muttering, el'Moria?" Marcellus asked quietly.- They are trained for combat in urban conditions, they do not undergo drill training ...- Yes you…- Defensive formation!- What?!- Correction! Construction! Among them, only two lups! Mork, they're regulars and they're standing up like they're going
The Verge Of An Empire 28
The next morning I woke up quite refreshed and well rested. Anticipating all the troubles that await me in the coming day, I dressed, breakfasted with appetite and, saying goodbye to the household, which I usually do not, went to Scoalt Yard.Having overcome the cordon of journalists from the capital's newspapers at the entrance to the territory of the Tower, I crossed the courtyard and entered the hall. There was no free space on the walls, floor and ceiling from the piles and crossbeams along which the workers scurried. Marblers from all over the capital are herded into Scoalt Yard in order to give it a proper look as soon as possible.“Did you see this, Thane el'Moria?” - Marcellus Mork, pacing the hall with a bandaged hand, pointed to the front door.– Journalists or flowers?- Both. They do not understand that they are preventing us from working. Although it's all very touching, of course.There were indeed stacks of flowers against the outer walls, and some well-wisher had hung
The Verge Of An Empire 29
- Predatory forms and delightful chasing!– Yes, cathars are forged only by masters, and each such sword is individual. And on that stand over there you can see a plucked seven-string…I took her around the museum, showing her columns from the temple on Mount Adugashi, a figurine of a dancing cloak, ancient sets of weapons, samples of sacred religious texts, and collections of poems by poets of the Tolkwan era. We laughed together at the clothes of the noble class of the Malkabi people and marveled at how someone managed to transport the war chariot of King Kapotar to Starkrar. There was a period in the history of Maldiz when people from the Barnabarite people seized power in the country, and they had kings, not maharajas. The Barnabarites held out for two generations, after which they were all slaughtered, and the throne was taken by the Maharajas of the Simptor dynasty. The last exhibit we came to was the main trophy of General Stubbs. I deliberately circled the halls, examining the
The Verge Of An Empire 30
Later we saw each other more often, and I caught myself thinking that I was only going into the world to see the Thani el'Zornaz. It was so strange not to feel squeamish disgust from the beautiful Tanya. I told her the truth about what I was doing with her feelings, and she silently gave me permission to correct these flaws, which, when they appeared, caused her such suffering. She knew that she was ill, and what her illness was leading to, she also knew. By the will of the moon, I alone was able to slow down and reverse the disease, making Bali forget about unbearable headaches, depression, paranoia, fear of bright lights. We tried not to be noticed, to conduct sessions ... perhaps you can call it therapy, in private, so as not to compromise her. I didn't even notice how the attraction got too strong.- Started a romance?- It's a novel. How do our crooked novelists write there, Sebastina? Were they overwhelmed by a whirlpool of passion?“I don’t know, master, I only read cookbooks a