"Feist, Raymond E - The Riftwar Legacy 02 - Krondor- The Assassins" - читать интересную книгу автора (Feist Raymond E)

area, known as "the Well" to the local thieves. The sound of all the
splashing water echoed in the small pipe, making its exact source
difficult to locate, so he proceeded slowly. This was a place in which a
six-inch misjudgment could send him falling to his death.

Reaching a point another ten feet further, Limm encountered a grate,
almost bumping into it, so focused was he on the sound of those who came
behind. He crouched, making

13 himself as small a target as possible, in case a mirrored tight was
shone into the tunnel.

Within moments he heard voices, at first only the sound of
indistinguishable words. Then he heard a man say, can't have gone too
far. He s just a kid. "

"He's seen us, " said the leader, and the boy knew full well who the
speaker was. He had the image of that man and those who served him
etched in his memory, though he had only glimpsed them for a few seconds
before turning and fleeing. He didn t know the man s name, but he knew
his nature. The boy had lived among such men all his life, though he had
known only a few who might be this dangerous.

Limm had no illusions about his own abilities; he knew he could never
confront such men. He was often full of bravado, but it was a false
courage designed to convince those who were stronger that he was just a
little more trouble to dispose of than he was in actuality. His
willingness to look death in the eye had saved the boy s neck on more
than one occasion; but he was also nobody s fool: Limm knew that these
men wouldn t give him the time to even try a bluff. They would kill him
without hesitation, because he could link them to a horrible crime.

Looking around, the young fugitive saw a trickle of water coming from
above. Risking detection, he briefly shone the barest light he could
manage above him. The top of the grating didn t reach the roof of the
tunnel, and just the other side of the grate was a passageway running
upward.

Without hesitation the youth climbed up on the grate and pushed his free
arm through, experience showing him how likely it was that he might pass
through such a tiny passage. Praying to Ban-ath that he hadn t grown too
much since the last time he had tried such a stunt, Limm pushed upward
and

14 turned. His head went first. Twisting it slightly, he thrust his face
forward between the top bar and the stones above. Practice had taught
him that his ears would suffer less if not bent backwards as he tried to
pull his head through. A rising sense of urgency battled the pain he
felt, as he sensed his pursuers closing in. Yet the pain from his cheeks
as he slowly pressed through the gap grew more intense. He tasted the