"Dave Duncan - The Seventh Sword - 2 - The Coming Of Wisdom" - читать интересную книгу автора (Duncan Dave)

He grunted again, surprised. "What's the nearest village, or town?"
"Pol, adept. A hamlet. About half a day's walk to the north."
"There would be swordsmen there, then. .."
It was not a question, so she need not say that the resident swordsman of Pol
had died on the same day as her husband, or that bis assassination could not
have been reported, either. Prevent bloodshed!
"What city? How far?"
"Ov, adept. About another half day beyond Pol."
"Mm? Do you happen to know the name of the reeve in Ov?"
He was dead, also, and all bis men. To answer just "No!" would be a lie. Before
she could speak, the swordsman asked another question.
"Is there trouble here, Apprentice Quili? Brigands? Bandits? Work for honest
swordsmen? Are we in any immediate danger?1'
"No immediate danger, adept."
He chuckled. "Pity! Not even a dragon?*'
She returned the laugh with relief. "Not one."
"And you haven't seen any sorcerers recently, I suppose?"
10
THE COMING OF WISDOM
So he did know about the sorcerers! "Not recently, adept..."
He sighed. "Well, if it's safe, then we must have been brought here to meet
someone. Like Ko."
"Ko?"
"Have you never heard the epic How Aggaranzi of the Seventh Smote the Brigands
at KoT He sounded shocked. "It's a great tale! Lots of honor, lots of blood.
It's very long, but I'll sing it for you when we have time. Well, if there's no



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danger, then I'd better go back and report. Come on!"
He took her hand and began to lead her down the road. His hand was very large,
his grip powerful; but his palm felt oddly soft, unlike the hands of the farm
workersтАФor even her own hands, these days.
Strangely, she did not feel nervous at being hauled into the unknown by this
tall and youthful stranger. She stumbled in the ruts. He muttered, "Careful!"
but he slowed down. There were three stream crossings on the trail, and she
could barely see the stepping-stones, but he could, and he guided her.
"You were brought by the Most High, adept?"
"We were! The sailor says he's never heard of a ferry being taken before. We've
come a long way, too! Very far!" He sounded satisfied, not awed at all. Of
course the River was the Goddess, and any ship might arrive at an unexpected
destination if it bore a Jonah, someone She wanted elsewhere. Free swords were
notorious Jonahs, always being moved by Her Hand. Such manifestations of Her
power happened too frequently to be truly miracles, but they were not something
that Quili could ever regard as lightly as this brash young swordsman seemed to.
The trees thinned out, the valley widened to admit grayness, and now she could
see better. He was even taller than she had thought, lanky and astoundingly