Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 15
ShealonelookedmeintheeyeswithoutwaveringuntilitwasIwhoturnedaway.Shedidnotlookmedown,fortherewasneitherchallengenorantagonisminhereyes—onlyfascination.Iwaslothtoadmitthisdefeatbyonesmallwoman,andmyeyes,turningaside,lightedonthedisgracefulroutofmycomradesandthetrailingki-sangandgavemethepretext.IclappedmyhandsintheAsiaticfashionwhenonegivescommand.
“Letbe!”Ithunderedintheirownlanguage,andintheformoneaddresseeunderlings.
Oh,Ihadachestandathroat,andcouldbull-roartothehurtofear-drums.IwarrantsoloudacommandhadneverbeforecrackedthesacredairoftheEmperor’spalace.
Thegreatroomwasaghast.Thewomenwerestartled,andpressedtowardoneanotherasforsafety.Theki-sangreleasedthecuniesandshrankawaygigglingapprehensively.OnlytheLadyOmmadenosignnormotionbutcontinuedtogazewide-eyedintomyeyeswhichhadreturnedtohers.
Thenfellagreatsilence,asifallwaitedsomewordofdoom.AmultitudeofeyestimidlystolebackandforthfromtheEmperortomeandfrommetotheEmperor.AndIhadwittokeepthesilenceandtostandthere,armsfolded,haughtyandremote.
