"Brian Daley - Doomfarers of Coramonde" - читать интересную книгу автора (Daley Brian)

"Springbuck, is that you? Stop it! This is no time for drunken games, you idiot!" There was a
strange, sharp note in her voice that he'd never heard there before. She squirmed and struggled in
his grip and he couldn't have answered her if he'd wanted, because he held the remaining two
headbands in clenched teeth.
Tightening the second loop, he whirled her around, tripped her and lowered her to the thick carpet
on her stomach, straddling her.
Alarmed now, she shrilled, "You mustn't do this! Listen to meтАФ" \
He'd used the second headband as a gag. The third he fastened around her vigorously kicking legs,
fettering her at the ankles. Lifting her as carefully as he could manage under the circumstances,
he carried the wildly protesting Duskwind to the bed. Even then he found himself marveling at the
warmth of her smooth, brown-gold skin and the fragrance of her, as he threw her across the covers.
As a precaution to her thrashing efforts to free herself, he added extra bindings and, out of
modesty, pulled the covers over her, leaving only her' head and graceful feet exposed.
He bent to peer into her gray eyes. "I'm sorry," he told his lover, "but I'm leaving and I've
decided that there's no place for a highborn and gentle Lady on the journey I mean to make." At
this her eyes went wide and she began to shake her head violently, attempting to speak through the
gag.
He nodded sadly. "Yes, I must go and I cannot take you, though life will be desolate without you."
This last was rather an exaggeration; he looked forward to going forth a free agent. But he was
fond of her, had been happy with her. She had even consoled him against his pending combat with
the vague reassurance that something would happen to prevent it.
Well, now something would.
Duskwind shut her eyes tightly in exasperation, then stared imploringly skyward. Perplexed, he
nevertheless decided that he had spent enough time with her. He
16
THE DOOMFARERS OF CORAMONDE
went to another chest, dug under some robes of state and drew forth the things he had assembled
for flight. He unlaced his buskins and threw them to one side, took off his tunic and removed his
copper bracelets and bandeau. These he kicked into a corner, done with them for all time. Turning
then to his preparations, he was arrested by a glimpse of himself in the cheval glass which stood
against the wall. He moved closer and regarded himself, an open-faced young man hi his nineteenth
year.
Smiling experimentally at the mirror Springbuck was rewarded with a totally unremarkable smile. He
was positive that he would attract no attention or recognition as the Prince. He felt stirrings of
confidence that his escape would be successful.
He abruptly remembered the door and whirled on it in apprehension. It was closed but unlatched.
Thankful that Duskwind's one outcry had elicited no inquiries, he darted to the door and shot the
bolt to, congratulating himself on his luck and, at the same time, feeling a growing knot in his
stomach, fear reaction from the events in the throne room and an ache to be away.
He" knew brief regret that Faurbuhl was not to be found. He had considered taking the old
philosopher with him, though he had revealed nothing of his plans to his teacher. Indeed, the idea
had come full-blown a week before, hi the strange period between waking and sleeping when the mind
was most flexible and receptive. A whisper of a suggestion was enough, and he knew that he must


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escape, and in that same moment was glavanized to search out the magician Andre de-Courteney and
the madman Van Duyn.