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

east just to mollify sister AraciaтАЩs sense of having been offended because everybody didnтАЩt rush over to
her Domain to defend her.тАЩ

тАШI donтАЩt think thatтАЩs entirely true, Veltan,тАЩ Longbow disagreed. тАШRed-Beard and I were talking outside
your map-room when Aracia and Dahlaine were arguing, and we sort of agreed that your older sisterтАЩs
problem wasnтАЩt so much offense as it was fear. If the descriptions weтАЩve heard of her part of the Land of
Dhrall are anywhere close to being accurate, she doesnтАЩt have anything that even remotely resembles an
army. She has farmers, merchants, and priests, but no soldiers. If the creatures of the Wasteland attack
her Domain, thereтАЩs nobody there to resist. ThatтАЩs why she wanted both the Maags and the Trogites to
go east. SheтАЩs more than a little self-centered, of course, but it was fear that was driving her.тАЩ

тАШNow thatтАЩs something we hadnтАЩt even considered,тАЩ Veltan admitted. тАШIt does sort of fit, though. We all
get a bit strange and confused at the end of one of our cycles, and the rest of the family assumed that she
was being driven by pride, and that being adored by all those priests had dislocated her mind. We never
even considered the possibility of fear. You might want to pass this on to Dahlaine and Zelana and see
what they think. It could explain AraciaтАЩs odd behavior here lately.тАЩ

Things were a bit crowded on board the Seagull as they sailed south from the house of Veltan in the late
summer. Sorgan obviously wasnтАЩt too pleased when Zelana and Dahlaine appropriated his cabin, but it
did make sense, since they had the children, Eleria, Ashad, and Yaltar with them. Maag sailors
frequently spoke to each other in colorful terms, and it was probably best to keep the children in a place
where they couldnтАЩt hear certain words.

Also, for some reason that Red-Beard couldnтАЩt really see, Dahlaine had insisted that Omago and his
beautiful wife Ara should join their party. There was something about Ara that Red-Beard couldnтАЩt quite
understand. She was beautiful, of course, but very peculiar things seemed to happen quite frequently
when she was around. It could just be coincidence, of course, but Red-Beard was more than a little
dubious about that.

For right now, however, Red-Beard had something a bit more serious to worry about. Once the Seagull
and the rest of the Maag fleet were past the south coast of VeltanтАЩs Domain, theyтАЩd be sailing north
along the coast of ZelanaтАЩs part of the Land of Dhrall, and there was a distinct possibility that theyтАЩd pull
into the bay of Lattash for any one of a dozen or so reasons.

It took him a while to work up enough nerve to speak with Zelana about the matter.

тАШAre you busy?тАЩ he asked her one bright, sunny morning as the Seagull raced down along the east coast
and Zelana was standing alone near the bow.


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 Crystal Gorge

тАШAre we having some sort of problem?тАЩ she asked him.

тАШWell, I hope not,тАЩ he replied. тАШDo you think you could see your way clear to persuade Sorgan Hook-
Beak to avoid the bay of Lattash?тАЩ

тАШIs there something wrong with Lattash, Red-Beard?тАЩ