"Dave Duncan - Tales of King's Blades 6 - Paragon Lost" - читать интересную книгу автора (Duncan Dave)

13Paragon Lost

We, Athelgar, King of Chivial and Nostrimia, Prince of Nythia, Lord of the Three Seas, Fount of
Justice, &c. to our trusty Durendal, Earl Roland of Waterby, Companion of the White Star, &c., Grand
Master of our Loyal and Ancient Order of the KingтАЩs Blades: Greeting! We do request and require that
you cause the most senioroneCandidates to be bound as Companions in the aforesaid Order by its
Secret and Ancient Rituals to serve our Royal Intents by defending our well-belovedOsric Oswald-son,
Bartagainst all Perils and Persons Whatsoever for as long as he shall live.

Done by our hand atour Palace of Greymerethis3rdDay ofEighthmoonin this13thyear of our Reign.
Athelgar

As a warrant for a manтАЩs life it was singularly unimpressive, not unlike BeauтАЩs handbill. He took that up
also, as if to compare them.

тАЬYou said His Majesty was not in Grandon on the third,тАЭ Isabelle said. тАЬHe made a mistake on the
date?тАЭ

тАЬKings are very careful over dates, Lady Beaumont,тАЭ Grand Master said. A former chancellor would
know that. тАЬA wrong date on a royal signature could have grave consequences.тАЭ

тАЬThen he postdated the warrant.тАЭ

BeauтАЩs smile was more catlike than ever. тАЬWhat possible reason can a king ever have for postdating
anything, love?тАЭ

She had no answer to that.

тАЬSo you suspected a forgery,тАЭ Beau said. тАЬIs it conjured? You had a White Sister sniff it?тАЭ

тАЬNo need,тАЭ Roland growled. тАЬThe writing is a purely secular forgery. The seal may be a conjurement. I
canтАЩt tell the seal from the real thingтАФitтАЩs only the royal signet, of course,


14Dave Duncan

not even the privy seal, but that is standard. The hand is not the KingтАЩs. A good copy, good enough to
fool me at first sight, but when I compared it with others, I could see the discrepancies.тАЭ

The old man spoke calmly, but he must be seething. A long lifetime of public service would end in
ridicule. The King might impose a cover-up, but that would not save Grand Master from the royal wrath.

Beau smiled. Neither man spoke.

тАЬI donтАЩt understand,тАЭ Isabelle said. тАЬHow can the imposter hope to get away with this? A Blade is not a
silver dish to be fenced or hocked. A Blade has a tongue. He talks.тАЭ

тАЬIf a man can be hanged for stealing a sheep,тАЭ Lord Roland inquired acidly, тАЬwill the penalty for stealing
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