"Rawn, Melanie - Dragon Star 03 - Skybowl" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dragon Stories)

"But your prince does," Saumer pointed out.
"I may be a beggar, but I won't take his charity!"
The young man turned to the Sunrunner in bewilderment. Johlarian only sighed and shrugged. Mirsath wasted no time trying to comprehend his cousin. He advanced on her with one hand outstretched.
She clutched the gems around her throat. "No!"
Johlarian lifted one hand suddenly. "Wait." His eyes glazed over and Saumer felt a subtle tingle at the edges of his own thoughts. Goddess, to be able to do it so easily! War was currently very useful work, and he was good at it. But to be a Sunrunner....
At length Johlarian looked sternly at Karanaya. "The High Prince commands it. He watches us even now, and the Lord of Goddess Keep with him."
"He spies on us!" she burst out. "That's what comes of having a Sunrunner for a prince! Rohan would neverЧ"
"Rohan would have asked," Saumer blurted. "My brother Arlis knew him well, and from all he ever said about him, High Prince Rohan wouldn't have orderedЧ"
"But Lady Andrade would." Johlarian spoke from sure knowledge of that ruthless mind.
Mirsath shrugged impatiently. "I don't care if it's wrapped in silk or raw wool with thistles still in! You were given a command by your prince and Lord Andry. Hand them over!"
Pol leaned against the frame of the sunlit window he shared with Andry and blew out a long sigh. "I thought she'd never give them up."
"Interesting woman," his cousin remarked.
"You can say thatЧyou're not her prince," Pol retorted. Then he sighed again. "I do her a disservice. She stood on the ramparts of Faolain Lowland and pretended to summon a dragonЧdidn't even flinch when one appeared. Courage and stubbornness made her do it. Unfortunately, they also make her somewhat difficult."
He rested his head against carved wood, watching Andry
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stare down at the kitchen garden. Servants were planting seeds. Pol thought this showed a remarkable optimism. Did they continue the usual seasonal progression in serene certainty of the harvestЧor in defiant hope?
"Andry?"
"Mmm?" He didn't glance around.
"You surprised me just now."
"Really?" A tiny smile twitched the sensitive mouth.
"I thought you'd bargain your help for getting your son back."
Andry said nothing.
"For Maarken's sake, then?" Pol asked softly.
"Mainly Andrev's," he answered softly. "He'd never forgive me. Of course, /'// never forgive Tilal. But that's unimportant, compared to my son's pride."
Pol moved away. "You're welcome to sit in with your father and brother on the military part of it if you like. It's your neck, too, after all."
"So it is. But I don't have any training in such things."
"Nor I." He slouched into a chair. "Oh, I'm all right once I'm in the middle of a battle, but the real work of planning it ... actually," he confessed with a brief smile, "it bores me. All I ever do is tell them what's going on, let them know my idea, and let them work out the specifics."
"And while they do, you'll go search for your wife and daughter." Andry approached slowly. "They won't be harmed, Pol."
"I wish I could believe that. The Vellant'im have never taken hostages before. Why now? And why two women and a child?"
"Ransom. I'm told you're the price." He hesitated, and then said something shocking. "Would they settle for the Lord of Goddess Keep, do you think?"
It took Pol several moments to recover. Had he really so misjudged Andry all these years? Or was this a ploy for greater power? The noble Lord of Goddess Keep offering himself to the enemy's wrathЧonly to work some magical scheme that would save himself and everyone else, too?
Switch identities, and there was his own rather nebulous plan.
"We really are far too much alike," Pol said with an honest smile. "I appreciate the thought, Andry, but if either of
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us proposed to exchange ourselves for the captives, our beloved parents would take us over their collective knees."
"And take turns blistering our asses?" Andry grinned back and shook his head, clean light gilding his brown hair. "No, too crude. Your mother and my brother would simply fry our colors for us on sunshine. Well, then, what else? Have you thought of using your dragon in some way?"
"Have Azhdeen fly over and scare the Vellant'im?" He shook his head. "They're more likely to kill him. Dragons don't scare them anymore." But Meiglan was terrified of them, even of Azhdeen. His Meggie ... what were they doing to her and Rislyn?
"Those pearls," Andry said abruptly. "I understand what you mean."
Pol felt his thoughts being dragged in a new direction. He made an effort and caught up. "It's no wonder they want them backЧbut why risk them at all?"
"Do they really know what they are?" Andry countered. When Pol frowned, he went on, "Mirsath and Karanaya don't see it. Johlarian has to concentrate and know what to look for. Saumer spotted it at once. But there's no evidence that any Vellanti has perceptions comparable to a Sunrunner'sЧor a sorcerer's."
If you only knew. "The pearls are priceless in and of themselves. You saw how beautiful they are."
"That has something to do with it, yes."
Pol said nothing, knowing that his cousin wanted to be prompted and damned if he'd give him the satisfaction.
Andry gripped the finials of a dining-table chair. "You have the Star Scroll, but not the histories. Pearls are mentioned only once. Lady Merisel preferred diamonds and emeralds." He smiled slightly. "Her description of what she wore to a victory banquet goes on for half a page. But there's only one instance when she wore pearlsЧshaped like teardrops and glowing like black rainbows. They must be the same ones."
"How many?"
"She didn't say. Enough for earrings and a necklet, anyhow. She loved jewelry and always wore at least that much, and usually rings and bracelets and sometimes a circlet as well. She called it her one weaknessЧand I think it's probably one reason Sunrunners wear rings."
"Could be. When did she wear the pearls?"