"Dave Duncan - Shadow" - читать интересную книгу автора (Duncan Dave)

to their appointed places.
Vindax's eyes scanned along the waiting fine of hopefuls and found Sald.
There was no change of expression, but the royal eyes noted the shabby boots,
the baggy hose, the despicable coat. Then the study ended, and Vindax looked
away.
But his interest had been observed, and necks craned to see who had been
so
honored.
There, thought Sald, was his problem. His mother had been a
lady-in-waiting.
As a child he had attended the palace school, and he was the same age as
Vindax--few ensigns in the Guard had ever been on first-name terms with the
crown prince. Later they had met again, when Vindax was learning flying from
the
Guard trainers. So when some young courtier had mentioned that he wanted an
equerry who was a good skyman, the prince himself would have graciously
mentioned the name of Harl. Amusing type, knows his manners, clean about the
house...
The anthem was played, then the archbishop prayed, inaudibly to mortal
ears.
Vindax looked no more at Sald, but Sald studied him. The prince was
amazingly unlike the rest of his family. Could flax and honey produce jet?
Certainly that thought must have been mulled over a million times by
thousands
of people since the prince's birth, but to speak even a hint of it would be
treason. Jarkadon, by contrast, looked more like the king than the king did.
The lord chancellor read the proclamation, finally bidding all those
etcetera draw nigh. Nobody moved.
 A herald removed the scroll from the chancellor's hand and substituted
another.
"...know therefore that it is our pleasure..."
There must be forty dubbings to come. Three or four minutes had to be
allowed for each to be called, to advance, to receive a few gracious words
from
the monarch...it was going to be a long time until they got to Sald Harl.
And the chancellor reached the end of the first citation:
"...our right trusty Sald Harl, Esquire, ensign in our Royal Guard."
It was like hitting a sudden downdraft. He hardly registered the shocked
bubbling of the court around him.
First? He had been planning to watch the others.
His feet moved by themselves, and he floated balloonlike above them,
along
the line to the center. Turn. Bow. Five paces. Bow. Four paces--make them
longer. Bow again. He was within the hot circle of sunlight...
Shadow? Had that proclamation said "Shadow"?
Oh, Great God Who Guided the Ark!
Bow to king, queen, prince, king again. Take one step. Then he stood at
the
edge of the dais, white-faced and sick to the roots of his soul.
Aurolron XX rose and paced forward, King Shadow at his back.