"David Eddings - The Dreamers 03 - Crystal Gorge" - читать интересную книгу автора (Eddings David)

 Crystal Gorge

Domain be at all useful if the Creatures of the Wasteland decide to go north?тАЩ

тАШThe natives of the Tonthakan region are fairly good archers,тАЩ Dahlaine replied. тАШTheir territoryтАЩs very
much like sister ZelanaтАЩs Domain, so the Tonthakans are primarily hunters. The central region, Matakan,
is open grassland and the game-animals there are bison. TheyтАЩre quite a bit larger than the deer in the
forest, and their furтАЩs a lot thicker. Arrows wouldnтАЩt be too effective against animals like that, so the
Matans use spears rather than bows and arrows.тАЩ

тАШWouldnтАЩt that limit the effective range?тАЩ Longbow asked.

тАШBison arenтАЩt as timid as deer are,тАЩ Dahlaine explained. тАШThey donтАЩt panic the way deer do. The Matans
use what they call тАЬspear-throwersтАЭ to increase the range.тАЩ

тАШI donтАЩt think IтАЩve ever heard of a тАЬspear-throwerтАЭ,тАЩ Red-Beard admitted. тАШHow does it work?тАЩ

тАШBasically, itтАЩs an extension of the hunterтАЩs arm. ItтАЩs a stick with a cup on the end. The hunter sets the
butt-end of the spear in that cup, and then he whips the stick forward. The added length increases the
leverage, and it nearly doubles the range of the spear. The stone spearheadтАЩs quite a bit heavier than your
arrowheads are, so it cuts through the fur and the thick skin of the bison. It sounds just a bit crude and
primitive, but it does keep the Matans eating regularly. YouтАЩll probably have an opportunity to see how
well it works when we get there.тАЩ

тАШIsnтАЩt there a third region up there as well?тАЩ Veltan asked.

Dahlaine made a sour face. тАШI should have done something about Atazakan quite some time ago, but IтАЩve
been just a bit busy here lately. The Atazaks have an elevated opinion of themselves - which probably
derives from whatтАЩs referred to in that region as тАЬthe royal familyтАЭ. IтАЩve never had occasion to study the
notion of тАЬhereditary insanityтАЭ, but the term seems to fit in the case of Atazakan. The current chief,
leader, king - whatever - is totally crazy. HeтАЩs absolutely convinced that heтАЩs a god, and that IтАЩm just a
usurper, and that IтАЩm trying to steal whatтАЩs rightfully his.тАЩ

тАШOh?тАЩ Zelana said. тАШWhat is this precious thing youтАЩve filched, Dahlaine?тАЩ

тАШThe world, of course - or possibly the entire universe.тАЩ

тАШWhy donтАЩt the citizens just remove him - with knife or axe?тАЩ Red-Beard asked.

тАШBecause he has thousands of guards,тАЩ Dahlaine replied. тАШIтАЩd say that every third man in Palandor is a
member of what Holy Emperor Azakan calls тАЬthe Guardians of DivinityтАЭ - which gives those
тАЬguardiansтАЭ an easy life. About all they have to do is stand around scowling threateningly at sunrise and
sunset.тАЩ


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 Crystal Gorge


тАШWhatтАЩs the weather like up there?тАЩ Red-Beard asked.