"Dave Duncan - The Seventh Sword - 1 - The Reluctant Sword" - читать интересную книгу автора (Duncan Dave)

The young man nodded. "My service is always to the Goddess."


Now that, Honakura thought happily, was how a deal should be made. Murder had not even been mentioned.


"But first the exorcism?" the swordsman said.


"Certainly, my lord." Honakura could not remember an exorcism in the last five years, but he was familiar with the ritual. "Fortunately, it does not
require that your craft or even rank be mentioned. And your present garb will be adequate."


The swordsman sighed with relief. "And it will succeed?"


One did not become or prevail as Third Deputy Chairman of the Council of Venerables without learning to cover one's hindquarters. "It will
succeed, my lord, unless..."


"Unless?" echoed the swordsman, his broad face darkening with suspicion...


Or was it guilt? Carefully Honakura said, "Unless the demon has been sent by the Most High Herself. Only you know whether you have committed
some grievous transgression against Her."


An expression of great agony and sorrow fell over the swordsman's face. He dropped his eyes and was silent for a while. Then he looked up
defiantly and growled, "It was sent by the sorcerers."


Sorcerers! The little priest staggered back a step. "Sorcerers!" he blurted. "My lord, in all my years in this temple, I have never heard a pilgrim
mention sorcerers. I had hardly thought that such truly existed any more."


Now the swordsman's eyes became as terrible as the priest had guessed they might. "Oh, they exist!" he rumbled. "I have come very far, holy one,
very far. But sorcerers exist, believe me."


Honakura pulled himself together. "Sorcerers cannot prevail against the Holiest," he said confidently. "Certainly not in Her own temple. If they are
the origin of your distress, then the exorcism will succeed. Shall we see to it?"


Honakura beckoned over an orange-gowned Fourth and gave orders. Then he led the swordsman through the nearest arch and along the length of
the nave to the statue of the Goddess.


The big man sauntered at Honakura's side, taking one stride to his three, but his head twisted and turned as he gaped around at the splendor, as all
visitors must on their first glimpse of this most holy sanctuary -seeing the great blue statue itself, the silver dais before it loaded with heaps of
glittering offerings, the multicolored flaming of the stained-glass windows along both sides, the miraculous fan vaulting of the ceiling hanging like