"David Eddings - The Dreamers 01 - The Elder gods" - читать интересную книгу автора (Eddings David)

And so it was that Longbow of the tribe of Old-Bear vanished into the
forest to seek out the venomous servants of That-Called-the-Vlagh. It was
rumored over the next decades that the Vlagh sent many of its servants
into the lands of the tribe, but few, if any, of its servants returned, for
Longbow had become one with the forest, and the creatures of the
Wasteland could neither see him nor could they hear him nor could they
even catch his scent as death sprang upon them from his bow.


The return of the legendary Zelana of the West stirred great excitement
in all the tribes of her Domain, and the people of Old-BearтАЩs tribe felt
greatly honored when word reached them that she would soon come to
visit. Longbow, however, had felt no great need to meet with her, and so
it was that when word of her approach reached the village of Old-Bear,
Longbow simply faded back into the forest to continue his hunt.
She had sought him out, however, and he had found that to be
disturbing. He had been certain that no one could find him in the forest if
he did not wish to be found, but Zelana had unerringly come to the place
where he was to ask him for his aid.
 тАШIтАЩm not interested, Zelana,тАЩ he had told her bluntly. тАШI have a more
pressing responsibility right now. I think youтАЩd better choose someone
else.тАЩ
тАШThis is very important,тАЩ she had pressed.
тАШNot to me, it isnтАЩt. ThereтАЩs only one thing thatтАЩs important to me, and
itтАЩs what IтАЩm doing right now.тАЩ
тАШYou donтАЩt like us very much, do you, Longbow?тАЩ the little girl whoтАЩd
accompanied Zelana had asked shrewdly. тАШYou donтАЩt really like anybody,
do you? You donтАЩt have any room inside you for тАЬlike,тАЭ because youтАЩre
all filled up with тАЬdonтАЩt like,тАЭ arenтАЩt you?тАЩ
тАШIt goes quite a bit further than тАЬdonтАЩt like,тАЭ little one,тАЩ Longbow had
told her, his voice softening slightly. тАШThe servants of That-Called-the-
Vlagh killed she who was to become my mate, so now I kill them.тАЩ
тАШThat sounds fair to me,тАЩ the little girl had said. тАШHow many of them
have you killed so far?тАЩ
He had shrugged. тАШHundreds, I suppose. I donтАЩt keep count any more.
IтАЩve been doing this for twenty years now.тАЩ
тАШIf thatтАЩs all that matters to you, we know how you can kill thousands,
donтАЩt we, Beloved?тАЩ
тАШPerhaps even more than that, Eleria,тАЩ Zelana had replied. Then she
had looked Longbow straight in the face. тАШWe hate the creatures of the
Wasteland almost as much as you do, Longbow, and if this turns out the
way I want it to, weтАЩll kill them all, and then weтАЩll go into the Wasteland
and kill That-Called-the-Vlagh. How does that sound to you?тАЩ
тАШItтАЩs interesting enough to make me want hear more,тАЩ he had conceded.


Longbow had been dubious when Zelana had assured him that the ship
of the Maag called Hook-Beak would come across the face of Mother Sea
to the Land of Dhrall, and even more skeptical when sheтАЩd told him that
the Maags would do anything for gold. But when the long, narrow ship of