"Gordon R. Dickson - Dragon Knight 09 - The Dragon and the F" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

were allowed up on it solely when their added numbers were needed to repel an
attack on the curtain walls.

Regardless of thisтАФthough they could hardly have failed to understand the
situationтАФthe two now walking their horses toward the gate came on.

It was not merely Malencontri's orders that would bar entrance to them, of
course. Cities, towns, castles, even private dwellings with anything that could be
stolen inside them, barred all entrances, locked all shutters and put themselves in
a defensive position every eve until daybreak. It was common sense against any
night attack when most inside would be sleeping. More than that: it was the
custom.

Custom, of all holy things, rating just below Faith and Love, was not there to be
treated lightly in this society and time. Faith simply was, of course, LoveтАФhere
in its full sense, stretching all the way from duty to a superior or an ideal, to the
child who could be gotten at only over your dead bodyтАФcould not be
questioned. But Custom endured because what had always been must always be.
Custom, sworn to in court, could make even a lord back down to a demand by
his tenants. So the men-at-arm discussed the two approaching with the distant
interest given to something that would have to wait until the morning to be
resolved.

The taller of the two was clearly a knight. He wore the weapons, the swordbelt.
Moreover, his spurs, which might even actually be gold, glinted occasionally in
the light that remained. The other, smaller rider, also weaponed but without the
sword-belt, was undoubtedly his squire. It was even possible that the smaller was
a younger brother or otherwise related. The two wore visorless helms and looked


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Gordon R. Dickson - The Dragon and the Fair Maid of Kent


more than a little alike.

But what really interested the more experienced men-at-arms was not the pair
themselves so much as the armor worn by the knight. Dulled as it was by the soil
of travel, it was obviously beautifully made and fitted him like a set of court
clothes. A suit of armor almost beyond cost for the person who had paid the
original price for it. But since he was so poor or unimportant that he traveled
with none but his squireтАФand probably a family member at thatтАФthat person
could not have been him.

So how had it come into his possession, fitting him as perfectly as it did?

They all turned with expressions of interest as they were abruptly joined by
Theoluf, a former chief man-at-arms himself, now elevated to the rank of being
their lord's squire (and now therefore officially a gentleman), but one who would