[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
takes his turn dancing with the bride. Rohder watches from the corner with an
expression of amiable bemusement.
Constantine stands tall amid the crowd, splendid in his black velvet jacket,
brilliant white lace, and a glittering diamond stickpin in the shape of the
fabled sea horse. He moves as easily amid the Barkazil throng as he does
anywhere else.
Aiah holds his arm, pleased that on a private occasion such as this there is
no necessity of maintaining in public the formal relationship of the minister
and his subordinate: they can be together as conspicuously as they like.
"Esmon looks splendid." Constantine nods toward Aiah's cousin, who stands in a
jacket of glittering jet beadwork that contrasts with both his billowing lace
and the foolish grin on his face.
Aiah smiles. "He's always had a highly distinctive style sense.
Especially since he's been seeing Khorsa, who almost certainly bought this
coat and any other fine clothes Esmon may have brought with him.
"He will take up residence here in Caraqui?
"He already has.
"Does he have a job yet?
Aiah cocks an eyebrow at him. "Do you have a vacancy?
"I don't have one in mind, no. I don't know what your cousin can do,"
amusement invading his face, "unless it's to model new uniforms for the
military.
"I'm sure he'd do that very well," Aiah says. "But until that opportunity
arises, I'm sending him around to various government departments, along with
my letter of recommendation.
"I'm sure that will obtain him a position.
The fact is, Aiah knows, that though Esmon is one of her favorite relatives,
and a perfectly charming man, he isn't suited to do anything in particular;
his last job, before he was laid off almost a year ago, was as a janitor in a
home for the elderly.
Aiah waits for a few seconds to see if Constantine will make a point of
offering Esmon a job, but he doesn't; and she long ago promised herself not to
ask Constantine for special favors for friends or relatives.
Alfeg approaches and asks her to dance, and she steps onto the floor with him.
He is technically a fine dancer, but the spirit is not quite there; he thinks
about it too much. At one point she catches the look he gives her awed,
worshipful and it makes her cheeks flame.
He really believes, she realizes, what Charduq the Hermit has been saying. He
truly believes she is an incarnation of Karlo or some other immortal, one of
the Old Oelphil guardians of her people. It isn't just a game; it isn't just
a notion he's been playing with Alfeg really believes it.
No wonder the dance doesn't feel quite right. He's almost afraid to touch
her.
At the end of the dance, Alfeg returns Aiah to Constantine, who she finds
chatting with her sister Henley. Henley is gesturing with her hands lovely
hands, long and graceful, once crippled by an Operation street lieutenant and
then made even worse by arthritis, hands which Aiah, over the last months,
arranged to have repaired.
Henley catches Aiah looking at her hands. She flushes, smiles, breathes the
words, "Thank you.
Aiah takes one of Henley's hands and presses it. "I'm happy I was able to
help," she says.
Constantine watches this with a benign smile.
"Excuse me, sir," Alfeg says.
Constantine gazes down at him. "Yes?
"I thought I'd mention that we seem to be having no trouble at all recruiting
replacements for the Barkazil Division. We've got swarms of applicants more
than we can use. We'll have our pick of some very good men.
"Splendid," said Constantine. "Carry on.
"But I feel I should mention " Alfeg searches for words, then decides simply
to say it. "If the government should ever decide to raise another Barkazil
Division, or to expand the current division to a full three brigades, I would
have no trouble finding recruits.
Constantine's eyes narrow as he considers this. "The military budget is due
for reduction, not expansion," he says. "But if the need should arise, I will
bear this news in mind.
Alfeg makes an effort to conceal his disappointment. "Yes," he says. "Thank
you, sir.
"One other thing.
"Sir?
Constantine speaks quietly, a little abstractedly, like a teacher giving a
well-worn lecture to his students. "You should consider that a number of your
recruits will almost certainly be spies, most likely from Jabzi, who will be
inserted into the Barkazil Division with the intention of discovering whether
our recruits will be used to subvert the arrangement whereby the Barkazi
Sectors are partitioned. Or perhaps these spies will even be there to subvert
us.
Aiah sees Alfeg's astonished stare and knows it probably mirrors her own.
"You know this?" he says. "Do you have any anything concrete?
"I note simply that Jabzi, which had formerly maintained only an honorary
consul just over our border in Charna a local fellow who operated more as a
tourist agent than a diplomatic representative is now upgrading their presence
to that of a full embassy, with a staff of over sixty people. Why should they
do that in a metropolis half a world away, with which they do so very little
trade? I assume that the entire purpose of this establishment is to keep an
eye on what Miss Aiah and the Barkazil Division are doing here in Caraqui.
A kind of resigned amusement dwells in Constantine's eyes, as if he could not
expect anything better from his fellow creatures.
"And though / know that the threat you pose to Jabzi is small," he says,
"perhaps nil, I also assume that by the time this new embassy finishes its
reports, you are going to be a fullblown menace to the security not just of
Jabzi, but of the world. The jobs of those sixty people depend on your being
a menace, and as far as they are concerned, you will be a menace.
"When," Aiah wonders thoughtfully, "did you discover this?
"Yesterday.
"Is there anything we can do about it?
"I will have Belckon send someone to Jabzi to have what are usually described
as 'full and frank discussions,' but I suspect their government has already [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl wyciskamy.pev.pl
takes his turn dancing with the bride. Rohder watches from the corner with an
expression of amiable bemusement.
Constantine stands tall amid the crowd, splendid in his black velvet jacket,
brilliant white lace, and a glittering diamond stickpin in the shape of the
fabled sea horse. He moves as easily amid the Barkazil throng as he does
anywhere else.
Aiah holds his arm, pleased that on a private occasion such as this there is
no necessity of maintaining in public the formal relationship of the minister
and his subordinate: they can be together as conspicuously as they like.
"Esmon looks splendid." Constantine nods toward Aiah's cousin, who stands in a
jacket of glittering jet beadwork that contrasts with both his billowing lace
and the foolish grin on his face.
Aiah smiles. "He's always had a highly distinctive style sense.
Especially since he's been seeing Khorsa, who almost certainly bought this
coat and any other fine clothes Esmon may have brought with him.
"He will take up residence here in Caraqui?
"He already has.
"Does he have a job yet?
Aiah cocks an eyebrow at him. "Do you have a vacancy?
"I don't have one in mind, no. I don't know what your cousin can do,"
amusement invading his face, "unless it's to model new uniforms for the
military.
"I'm sure he'd do that very well," Aiah says. "But until that opportunity
arises, I'm sending him around to various government departments, along with
my letter of recommendation.
"I'm sure that will obtain him a position.
The fact is, Aiah knows, that though Esmon is one of her favorite relatives,
and a perfectly charming man, he isn't suited to do anything in particular;
his last job, before he was laid off almost a year ago, was as a janitor in a
home for the elderly.
Aiah waits for a few seconds to see if Constantine will make a point of
offering Esmon a job, but he doesn't; and she long ago promised herself not to
ask Constantine for special favors for friends or relatives.
Alfeg approaches and asks her to dance, and she steps onto the floor with him.
He is technically a fine dancer, but the spirit is not quite there; he thinks
about it too much. At one point she catches the look he gives her awed,
worshipful and it makes her cheeks flame.
He really believes, she realizes, what Charduq the Hermit has been saying. He
truly believes she is an incarnation of Karlo or some other immortal, one of
the Old Oelphil guardians of her people. It isn't just a game; it isn't just
a notion he's been playing with Alfeg really believes it.
No wonder the dance doesn't feel quite right. He's almost afraid to touch
her.
At the end of the dance, Alfeg returns Aiah to Constantine, who she finds
chatting with her sister Henley. Henley is gesturing with her hands lovely
hands, long and graceful, once crippled by an Operation street lieutenant and
then made even worse by arthritis, hands which Aiah, over the last months,
arranged to have repaired.
Henley catches Aiah looking at her hands. She flushes, smiles, breathes the
words, "Thank you.
Aiah takes one of Henley's hands and presses it. "I'm happy I was able to
help," she says.
Constantine watches this with a benign smile.
"Excuse me, sir," Alfeg says.
Constantine gazes down at him. "Yes?
"I thought I'd mention that we seem to be having no trouble at all recruiting
replacements for the Barkazil Division. We've got swarms of applicants more
than we can use. We'll have our pick of some very good men.
"Splendid," said Constantine. "Carry on.
"But I feel I should mention " Alfeg searches for words, then decides simply
to say it. "If the government should ever decide to raise another Barkazil
Division, or to expand the current division to a full three brigades, I would
have no trouble finding recruits.
Constantine's eyes narrow as he considers this. "The military budget is due
for reduction, not expansion," he says. "But if the need should arise, I will
bear this news in mind.
Alfeg makes an effort to conceal his disappointment. "Yes," he says. "Thank
you, sir.
"One other thing.
"Sir?
Constantine speaks quietly, a little abstractedly, like a teacher giving a
well-worn lecture to his students. "You should consider that a number of your
recruits will almost certainly be spies, most likely from Jabzi, who will be
inserted into the Barkazil Division with the intention of discovering whether
our recruits will be used to subvert the arrangement whereby the Barkazi
Sectors are partitioned. Or perhaps these spies will even be there to subvert
us.
Aiah sees Alfeg's astonished stare and knows it probably mirrors her own.
"You know this?" he says. "Do you have any anything concrete?
"I note simply that Jabzi, which had formerly maintained only an honorary
consul just over our border in Charna a local fellow who operated more as a
tourist agent than a diplomatic representative is now upgrading their presence
to that of a full embassy, with a staff of over sixty people. Why should they
do that in a metropolis half a world away, with which they do so very little
trade? I assume that the entire purpose of this establishment is to keep an
eye on what Miss Aiah and the Barkazil Division are doing here in Caraqui.
A kind of resigned amusement dwells in Constantine's eyes, as if he could not
expect anything better from his fellow creatures.
"And though / know that the threat you pose to Jabzi is small," he says,
"perhaps nil, I also assume that by the time this new embassy finishes its
reports, you are going to be a fullblown menace to the security not just of
Jabzi, but of the world. The jobs of those sixty people depend on your being
a menace, and as far as they are concerned, you will be a menace.
"When," Aiah wonders thoughtfully, "did you discover this?
"Yesterday.
"Is there anything we can do about it?
"I will have Belckon send someone to Jabzi to have what are usually described
as 'full and frank discussions,' but I suspect their government has already [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]