"05.The King's Buccaneer" - читать интересную книгу автора (Feist Raymond E)

Returning to sharpening his dirk, Ghuda said, "Go where?"

"Krondor."

Ghuda shut his eyes a moment. The only person they both knew in Krondor was Prince Borric. "This is not a perfect existence, by any measure, Nakor, but I'm contented to remain here. Now go away."

The little man bit into his orange, pulled off a large piece of peel, and spat it out. He bit deeply into the orange and slurped loudly as he did. Wiping his mouth with the back of his wrist,

4 Raymond E. Feist

he said, "Contented with that?" He pointed into the darkened doorway, through which the wail of a child carried over the general shouts and breakage.

Ghuda said, "Well, it's a hard life, sometimes, but rarely is anyone trying to kill me; I know where I'm sleeping every night, and I eat well and bathe regularly. My woman's affectionate, and the childrenЧ" Another child's loud shriek was punctuated by the sound of an indignant infant's wailing cry. Looking at Nakor, Ghuda asked, "I'm going to regret asking this, but why do we need to go to Krondor?"

"Got to see a man," Nakor said as he sat back on the hitching rail, hooking one foot behind a post to keep his bal-

ance.

"One thing about you, Nakor, you never bore a man to death with unnecessary details. What man?"

"Don't know. But we'll find out when we get there."

Ghuda sighed. "Last time I saw you, you were riding north out of the City of Kesh, heading for that island of magicians, Stardock. You were wearing a great cape and blue robe of magnificent weave, the horse was a black desert stallion worth a year's wages, and you had a purse full of the Empress's gold."

Nakor shrugged. "The horse ate bad grass, got colic, and ' died." He fingered the dirty, torn blue robe he wore. "The great cape kept catching in things, so I threw it away. The robe is the one I still wear. The sleeves were too long, so I tore them off. The thing dragged on the ground and I kept tripping on the hem, so I cut it with my dagger."

Ghuda regarded his former companion's ragged appearance and said, "You could have afforded a tailor."

"Too busy." He glanced at the turquoise sky, shot through with pink and grey clouds, and said, "I spent all the money and I got bored with Stardock. Decided to go to Krondor."

Ghuda felt control leaving as he said, "Last time I consulted a map, Stardock to Krondor by way of Elarial was considered the long way around."

Nakor shrugged. "I needed to find you. So I went back to Kesh. You said you might go to Jandowae, so there I went. Then they said you'd gone to Farafra, so there I went. I then followed you to Draconi, Caralyan, then here."

"You seem singularly determined to find me,"

Nakor leaned forward, and his voice changed; Ghuda had

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heard him take this tone before and knew that what he was saying was significant. "Great things, Ghuda. Don't ask me why; I don't know. Just say that sometimes I see things.

"You need to come with me. We are going places few men of Kesh have ever gone. Now, get your sword and your pack and come with me. A caravan leaves for Durbin tomorrow. I have gotten you a job as a guard; they remember Ghuda Bule. From Durbin we can find a ship to Krondor. We need to be there soon."

Ghuda said, "Why should I listen to you?"

Nakor grinned and his voice was again the half-mocking, half-mirthful sound that was the Isalani's hallmark. "Because you're bored, true?"

Ghuda listened to his youngest stepchild wailing at some outrage done by one of her six siblings and said, "Well, it's not as if things around here were eventful . . ." Hearing another shriek, he added, "or really peaceful."