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

of Mal Zeth?"
"I believe that it's time for his Imperial Exaltedness
to tear himself away from his amusements here in Cthol Murgos
and come back to the capital."
"Careful, Brador," Atesca said with a brief smile. "Your
fine-tuned Melcene prejudices are showing."
"Things are getting grim at home, Atesca," Brador said
seriously. "I've got to talk with the Emperor. Can you help me
to get in to see him?"
"I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you, my friend," Brador said, clasping the
general's arm. "The whole fate of the empire may depend on my
persuading Kal Zakath to come back to Mal Zeth."
"General Atesca," one of the spear-armed guards at the
polished door said in a loud voice, "his Imperial Majesty will
see you and your prisoners now."
"Very good," Atesca replied, ignoring the ominous word
"prisoners." He looked at Garion. "The Emperor must be very
eager to see you, your Majesty," he noted.
"It often takes weeks to gain an audience with him. Shall
we go inside?"


CHAPTER TWO

Kal Zakath, the Emperor of boundless Mallorea, lounged in
a red-cushioned chair at the far end of a large plain room.
The Emperor wore a simple white linen robe, severe and
unadorned. Though Garion knew that he was at least in his
forties, his hair was untouched by gray and his face was
unlined. His eyes, however, betrayed a kind of dead weariness,
devoid of any joy or even any interest in life. Curled in his
lap lay a common mackerel-striped alley cat, her eyes closed
and her forepaws alternately kneading his thigh. Although the
Emperor himself wore the simplest of clothes, the guards
lining the walls all wore steel breastplates deeply inlaid
with gold.
"My Emperor," General Atesca said with a deep bow,
"I have the honor to present his Royal Majesty, King Belgarion
of Riva."
Garion nodded briefly, and Zakath inclined his head in
response. "Our meeting is long overdue, Belgarion," he said in
a voice as dead as his eyes. "Your exploits have shaken the
world."
"Yours have also made a certain impression, Zakath."
Garion had decided even before he had left Rak Verkat -that he
would not perpetuate the absurdity of the Mallorean's
self-bestowed "Kal."
A faint smile touched Zakath's lips. "Ah," he said in a
tone which indicated that he saw through Garion's attempt to