"De Camp, L Sprague - RK 2 - The Clocks Of Iraz UC" - читать интересную книгу автора (De Camp L Sprague)

no friendly tone. Carrying his ale, he rose and followed the other back to his table. He sat down beside the younger one, while his hand strayed to the knife at his belt. "Now, sir, what can I do for you?"

The other gave a high-pitched giggle. "Come, good my sir. Everyone has heard of Jorian of Ardamai, once king of Xylar, who fled his official decapitation and has been hidingЧow!"

"Be quiet," murmured the big man, who had slid an arm around the younger man's waist and then, with his other hand, had thrust his knife so that its point gently pricked the skin of the other's belly.

"How Ч how dare you!" cried the slim young man. "You cannot order me around! You durst not harm one of my rank!"

"Want to find out? An you'd not mess up Theudus' nice clean floor with your guts, you shall do exactly as told."

"B-but, my dear Jorian, I know you! Doctor Karadur said that Nikko of Kortoli was one of your false names, and that is how I tracked you hitherЧeh, stop that!"

"Then shut up, idiot! What has Karadur to do with this? Keep your voice down!"

"He gave me a letter to youЧ"

"Who are you, anyway?"

"M-my name is Zerltk-son of Doerumik son ofЧ"

"An uncouth name, if ever I heard one. Whence come you? Penembei?"

" Precisely, sir. The great "city of Iraz, in fact. NowЧ"

"And Karadur is in Iraz?"

"Aye, Master jorЧow\"

"The next time you speak that name aloud, I'll let you have it up to the hilt. Let's see this letter."

Zerlik looked down his long, hooked, high-bridged nose. "Really, sir, a gentleman like myself is not accustomed to such unmannerlyЧ"

"The letter, your lordship, unless you want steel in your guts. Did Karadur hire you as messenger?"

"Really, good my sir! Persons of my quality do not work for pay. It is our duty to serve the court, and my

3

THE CLOCKS OF IRAZ

task is that of royal messenger. When His Majesty, knowing me fluent in Novarian, commanded me to bear Karadur's missive..."

During this speech, the big man had pried the seal off the letter and unfolded the sheet of reed paper. He frowned at the spidery writing on the crackly, golden-brown surface, then called:

"O Theudus! A candle, if you please." When the candle had been brought, the big man read the following epistle'

Karadur the Mulvaman to his stout comrade in the adventure of the Kist of Avlen, greetings.

If you would recover your little Estrildis, and if you remember enough of your early training in clockmaking to put in order the clocks on the Tower of Kumashar, then come to Iraz with Master Zerlik. The task should not be difficult, for I understand that these clocks were installed by your sire in the first place. Farewell.