"Margaret Weis - Dragonlance Chronicles 01 - Dragons Of Autumn Twilight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dragonlance)

The hobgoblin sat astride the pony, watching them with a sneering, supercilious
look on his flat face. His pink eyes reflected the last lingering traces of
sunlight.
"You see, boys," the hobgoblin stated, speaking the Common Tongue with a thick
accent, "what fools we are dealing with here in Solace."
There was gritty laughter from the trees behind the hobgoblin. Five goblin
guards, dressed in crude uniforms, came out on foot. They took up positions on
either side of their leader's horse.
"Now . . ." The hobgoblin leaned over his saddle. Tanis watched with a kind of
horrible fascination as the creature's huge belly completely engulfed the
pommel. "I am Fewmaster Toede, leader of the forces that are keeping Solace
protected from undesirable elements. You have no right to be walking in the city
limits after dark. You are under arrest." Fewmaster Toede leaned down to speak
to a goblin near him. "Bring me the blue crystal staff, if you find it on them,"
he said in the croaking goblin tongue. Tanis, Flint, and Tasslehoff all looked
at each other questioningly. Each of them could speak some goblin-Tas better
than the others. Had they heard right? A blue crystal staff?
"If they resist," added Fewmaster Toede, switching back to Common for grand
effect, "kill them."
With that, he yanked on the reins, flicked his mount with a riding crop, and
galloped off down the path toward town.
"Goblins! In Solace! This new Theocrat has much to answer for!" Flint spat.
Reaching up, he swung his battle-axe from its holder on his back and planted his
feet firmly on the path, rocking back and forth until he felt himself balanced.
"Very well," he announced. "Come on."
"I advise you to retreat," Tanis said, throwing his cloak over one shoulder and
drawing his sword. "We have had a long journey. We are hungry and tired and late
for a meeting with friends we have not seen in a long time. We have no intention
of being arrested."
"Or of being killed," added Tasslehoff. He had drawn no weapon but stood staring
at the goblins with interest.
A bit taken aback, the goblins glanced at each other nervously. One cast a
baleful look down the road where his leader had vanished. The goblins were
accustomed to bullying peddlers and farmers traveling to the small town-not to
challenging armed and obviously skilled fighters. But their hatred of the other
races of Krynn was long-standing. They drew their long, curved blades.
Flint strode forward, his hands getting a firm grip on the axe handle. "There's
only one creature I hate worse than a gully dwarf," he muttered, "and that's a
goblin!"
The goblin dove at Flint, hoping to knock him down. Flint swung his axe with
deadly accuracy and timing. A goblin head rolled into the dust, the body
crashing to the ground.
"What are you slime doing in Solace?" Tanis asked, meeting the clumsy stab of
another goblin skillfully. Their swords crossed and held for a moment, then
Tanis shoved the goblin backward. "Do you work for the High Theocrat?"
"Theocrat?" The goblin gurgled with laughter. Swinging its weapon wildly, it ran
at Tanis. "That fool? Our Fewmaster works for the-ugh!" The creature impaled
itself on Tanis's sword. It groaned, then slid off onto the ground.
"Damn!" Tanis swore and stared at the dead goblin in frustration. "The clumsy
idiot! I didn't want to kill it-just find out who hired it."