"Dunsany, Lord - Plays of Gods and Men" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dunsany Lord)

Zabra:
O, it is most evil. Alas that I told him this. We
shall be poor men.

Chamberlain:
No one will give us gold for many days.

Zabra:
Yet you will govern Thalanna while he is away. You can
increase the taxes of the merchants and the tribute of
the men that till the fields.

Chamberlain:
They will only pay taxes and tribute to the King, who
gives of his bounty to just and upright men when he is
in Thalanna. But while he is away the surfeit of his
wealth will go to unjust men and to men whose beards
are unclean and who fear not God.

Zabra:
We shall indeed be poor.

Chamberlain:
A little gold perhaps from evil-doers for justice. Or
a little money to decide the dispute of some righteous
wealthy man; but no more till the King returns, whom
God prosper.

Zabra:
God increase him. Will you yet try to detain him?

Chamberlain:
No. When he comes by with his retinue and escort I
will walk beside his horse and tell him that a progress
through the desert will well impress the Arabs with his
splendour and turn their hearts towards him. And I
will speak privily to some captain at the rear of the
escort and he shall afterwards speak to the chief
commander that he may lose the camel-track in a few
days' time and take the King and his followers to
wander in the desert and so return by chance to
Thalanna again. And it may yet be well with us. We
will wait here till they come by.

Zabra:
Will the chief commander do this thing certainly?

Chamberlain:
Yes, he will be one Thakbar, a poor man and a