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

тАЬAre you truly forbidden to use your Blade name?тАЭ he asked.

Beau shrugged. тАЬTitle. It was always only honorary and a


8Dave Duncan

stable hand claiming knightly rank is unseemly. тАШBeaumont CooksonтАЩ lacks euphony, donтАЩt you agree?тАЭ

тАЬSome say that you brought much of your trouble on yourself.тАЭ

тАЬWho does not cry for just deserts, when all he really wants is pity?тАЭ

Grand Master showed his teeth. тАЬYou had orders to leave town. ThatтАЩs what the harassment is about.
Why donтАЩt you do as youтАЩre toldтАФgo away and start over somewhere else?тАЭ

тАЬI enjoy listening to the gossip here.тАЭ

тАЬWhy didnтАЩt you enter the KingтАЩs Cup this year?тАЭ

тАЬYou came for lessons? A man of your years will find fencing strenuous.тАЭ

They were fencing with wordsтАФfeinting, parrying, riposting, and never quite saying what they meant. His
lordship tapped the handbill spread on the table.

тАЬThis says that you won the KingтАЩs Cup two years ago against competitors from four kingdoms. Last
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year, of course, you were elsewhere. Why did you not compete this spring?тАЭ

тАЬI might have lost. Who wants lessons from the third or fourth best swordsman in the world?тАЭ

тАЬThen you need not have mentioned it.тАЭ

Isobel sniffed at her wine glass and set it down hastily. She should go back to work. Nosy Mistress
Snider would know that Beau was here and selling fencing lessons did not need both of them. But she
wanted to know what spite the Blades were plotting against Beau this time.

Lord Roland tasted his wine. Without comment, he set the glass down and folded his arms as if he had
reached a decision. тАЬYou are not the first Blade to end up working as a stable hand, but you will never
convince me that you enjoy it. I came here to offer you a job.тАЭ

тАЬI happen to be married.тАЭ


9Paragon Lost