"John DeChancie - Castle 01 - Castle Perilous" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dechancie John)

From the room behind him came sounds of laughter and pleasant conversation, overlaid with strains of music
from antique instruments.
тАЬHow goes the battle?тАЭ
тАЬWell, from here it looks as though the outer wall has been breached.тАЭ
Dalton leaned over the rail of the stone balustrade. тАЬReally?тАЭ
Jacoby, who still preferred the conservative Savile Row tweeds he had arrived with, took another sip. тАЬYes. Hand-
to-hand fighting down there.тАЭ He pointed. тАЬAmong those outbuildings. Do you see?тАЭ
Dalton peered down. тАЬYouтАЩre quite right. We should announce this to the other Guests.тАЭ He straightened up and
drew a thoughtful puff on his cigarette. тАЬBrings up an interesting question thatтАЩs been entirely hypothetical until
now. What exactly will our situation be, vis-├а-vis the invaders?тАЭ

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тАЬAre they aware of us?тАЭ
Dalton shrugged. тАЬAside from Our Host, IтАЩve never met anyone who could answer that question with any
authority.тАЭ
тАЬI suspect they do. YouтАЩre right тАФ Incarnadine would know.тАЭ
тАЬI should think.тАЭ
тАЬHas anyone ever asked him?тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt think Our Host has made an appearance since the siege began, several months ago. At least, no one I
know has seen him.тАЭ
Jacoby nodded and looked out at the battle again. For miles around, vast armies lay camped on the plains below.
From this distance the clumps of brightly colored tents looked like a sprawling, endless carnival or festival. The
sprawl stopped at the foot of the rocky promontory upon which Castle Perilous stood. There, hanging against the
sheer cliffs, began a massive array of wooden trestles, scaffolds, ramps, and platforms тАФ the means by which the
besieging armies had scaled the heights. Even now troops of soldiers were mounting them in an endless stream
from the plains, some dragging huge battle engines up the ramps, using complicated systems of ropes, cranes,
and pulleys.
тАЬThereтАЩs a certain inevitability about it all,тАЭ Dalton observed. тАЬOur intrepid defenders have given a good account
of themselves, but I think the outcome is a foregone conclusion. That army is a wave that canтАЩt be stopped.тАЭ
тАЬYou may well be right.тАЭ
тАЬI suppose, then,тАЭ Dalton went on, тАЬsomebody should approach the other side and find out how the Guests figure
into things.тАЭ
тАЬRumor has it they mean to destroy the castle.тАЭ
Dalton snorted. тАЬIтАЩve heard that. Ridiculous. Do you know how big this place is on the outside alone? тАФ to say
nothing of the worlds of room within. Look down.тАЭ
Jacoby did so.
тАЬMust be eighty stories to this part of the keep. And look at those towers. How high, would you say?тАЭ
тАЬI have no idea.тАЭ
тАЬHave you ever been to the north wall?тАЭ
тАЬNo.тАЭ
тАЬIt must be a mile distant from us.тАЭ
тАЬThat much.тАЭ Jacoby didnтАЩt seem oversurprised.
Dalton тАЩs eyes narrowed. тАЬYes.тАЭ He paused, looking at Jacoby. Then his gaze was drawn out over the rail again.
тАЬThis has to be the biggest edifice ever constructed. Anywhere.тАЭ
тАЬMust be.тАЭ
Dalton drank from his glass and exhaled noisily. He smiled. тАЬExquisite, as usual.тАЭ He smacked his lips,
deliberating. тАЬA bit too fruity, perhaps.тАЭ
тАЬDo you think thereтАЩs a chance weтАЩll be permitted to remain here?тАЭ