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

Beau nodded. тАЬGangly lad, with a shock of black hair? Always looked surprised, as if his eyebrows had
been stuck on too high.тАЭ

тАЬHe has a nasty surprise coming to him now, if he hasnтАЩt had it already. He was late developing, but he
turned out very well, excellent man, wonderful on a horse. I like to keep one of the best to be Prime so
that no one thinks heтАЩs a reject. The following night he was bound.тАЭ

Beau drummed fingers on the table. тАЬI suppose . . . the


12Dave Duncan

oath is part of the binding. ThereтАЩs no question that the conjuration would work if the ward used a false
name?тАЭ

тАЬIf it hadnтАЩt, Swithin would have died. And if it was possible to bind by proxy, the King would not come
to Ironhall. No, itтАЩs whose hand holds the sword that counts.тАЭ

тАЬOsric knew how to wield a sword?тАЭ

тАЬNo,тАЭ Grand Master said. тАЬI doubt if heтАЩd ever touched one before, but he got the point in SwithinтАЩs
heart, which is all that matters. Before dawn they rode off over the moor together, Aragon succeeded as
Prime, and Ironhall carried on as it always does.тАЭ

тАЬBut?тАЭ Isabelle prompted in the silence.

Grand Master scowled. тАЬA few hours later a couple of guardsmen came by. Sir Valiant and Sir
HazardтАФyou remember them, Beau? They were on their way to Nythia to inspect renovations at a royal
hunting lodge, so of course they dropped in at Ironhall. Hazard mentioned that the King had gone off to
Avonglade for a weekтАЩs hunting and would be back on the ninth. ThatтАЩs today.тАЭ

тАЬLoose lips!тАЭ Beau said scornfully. тАЬDoes dear King Athelgar not keep his movements secret?тАЭ

Roland shrugged. тАЬHe tries to. He keeps everything secret. HeтАЩs said to keep secrets from himself. But if
he had gone for a week, then he must have left on the first or second...тАЭ

Beau emptied his goblet and pulled a face. тАЬSo you retrieved OsricтАЩs warrant from the archives and took
another look.тАЭ

Grand Master produced a paper and passed it across. Isabelle leaned against BeauтАЩs shoulder to study
it. It was a common octavo sheet, printed in heavy black type, with a few gaps where additions had been
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inserted in a hasty scrawl.