"David Eddings - Malloreon 3 Demon Lord of Karanda" - читать интересную книгу автора (Eddings David)

"There's a principle involved, your Majesty."
"Yes," Garion agreed, "there is. Give the man my
apologies, but advise him not to interfere with me again
-particularly when it concerns my wife. I don't really like
hurting people, but I can make exceptions when I have to."
Atesca's look grew steely, and the gaze Garion returned
was just as bleak. They stared at each other for a long
moment. "With all due respect, your Majesty," Atesca said
finally, "don't abuse my hospitality again."
" Only if the situation requires it, General."
"I'll instruct my men to prepare a litter for your wife,"
Atesca said then, "and let's plan to get an early start
tomorrow. If the Queen is ill, we want to get her to Rak Hagga
as soon as possible."
"Thank you, General," Garion replied.
Atesca bowed coldly, then turned and left.
"Wouldn't you say that was a trifle blunt, Belgarion?"
Sadi murmured. "We are in Atesca's power at the moment."
Garion grunted. "I didn't like his attitude." He looked at
Belgarath, whose expression was faintly disapproving.
"Well?" he asked.
"I didn't say anything."
"You didn't have to. I could hear you thinking all the way
over here."
"Then I don't have to say it, do I?"
The next day dawned cold and raw, but the snow had
stopped. Garion rode at the side of Ce'Nedra's horse-borne
litter with his face mirroring his concern. The road they
followed ran northwesterly past more burned-out villages and
shattered towns. The ruins were covered with a thick coating
of the clinging wet snow that had fallen the previous day, and
each of them was encircled by a ring of those grim, occupied
crosses and stakes.
It was about midafternoon when they crested a hill and saw
the lead-gray expanse of Lake Hagga stretching far in the
north and east; on the near shore was a large, walled city.
"Rak Hagga," Atesca said with a certain relief.
They rode on down the hill toward the city. A brisk wind
was blowing in off the lake, whipping their cloaks about them
and tossing the manes of their horses.
"All right, gentlemen," Atesca said over his shoulder to
his troops, "let's form up and try to look like soldiers." The
red-cloaked Malloreans pulled their horses into a double file
and straightened in their saddles.
The walls of Rak Hagga had been breached in several
places, and the tops of the battlements were chipped and
pitted from the storms of steel-tipped arrows that had swept
over them. The heavy gates had been burst asunder during the
final assault on the city and hung in splinters from their
rusty iron hinges.