"Cook, Glen - Dreams of Steel" - читать интересную книгу автора (Cook Glen)

There were only five candidates now. The idol had moved. Its raised foot had fallen, crushing one of the heads. Its other foot had risen. The body of the man who had been two to my left lay beneath it. His head, held by the hair, dangled from one of the idol's hands. Before the lights had gone out that hand had clutched a bunch of bones. Another hand that had clutched a sword still did so, but now that blade glistened. There was blood on the idol's lips and chin and fangs. Its eyes gleamed.
How had they managed it? Was there some mechanical engine inside the idol? Had the priest and his assistant done the murder? They would have had to move fast.
The priests seemed startled, too.

TOR BOOKS BY GLEN COOK
AN ILL FATE MARSHALLING REAP THE EAST WIND THE SWORDBEARER* THE TOWER OF FEAR
THE BLACK COMPANY:
The First Chronicle of the Black Company: THE BLACK COMPANY
The Second Chronicle of the Black Company: SHADOWS LINGER
The Third Chronicle of the Black Company: THE WHITE ROSE
The Fourth Chronicle of the Black Company: SHADOW GAMES: First Book of the South
THE SILVER SPIKE
The Fifth Chronicle of the Black Company: DREAMS OF STEEL: Second Book of the South

*forthcoming


GLEN COOK

Dreams of Steel

SECOND BOOK OF THE SOUTH
THE FIFTH CHRONICLE OF THE BLACK COMPANY
TOR
fantasy
A TOM DOHERTY ASSOCIATES BOOK NEW YORK


This book is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in it are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.
DREAMS OF STEEL Copyright (c) 1990 by Glen Cook
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.
A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, Inc.
49 West 24th Street
New York, N.Y. 10010
Cover art by Keith Berdak
ISBN: 0-812-50210-8
First edition: April 1990
Printed in the United States of America
0987654321


For Keith, because I like his style


Chapter One

Many months have passed. Much has happened and much has slipped from my memory. Insignificant details have stuck with me while important things have gotten away. Some things I know only from third parties and more I can only guess. How often have my witnesses perjured themselves?

It did not occur to me, till this time of enforced inactivity befell me, that an important tradition was being overlooked, that no one was recording the deeds of the Company. I dithered then. It seemed a presumption for me to take up the pen. I have no training. I am no historian nor even much of a writer. Certainly I don't have Croaker's eye or ear or wit.