"Raymond E. Feist - Empire Saga 2 - Servant Of The Empire" - читать интересную книгу автора (Feist Raymond E)

this moment were down in the pen, and her interest in them
was solely financial.

Mara ended her frank appraisal of the man's appearance
and focused on his interaction with the Tsurani overseer and
his assistants. The factor's rant reached a crescendo. Then
he ran out of breath. He waved his fist one last time at the
height of the barbarian's collarbone. And much to Mara's
amazement, the slave showed no sign of submissiveness.
Rather than prostrating himself with his face pressed into
the earth at the factor's feet, silently awaiting his punishment,
he stroked his bearded chin and, in a resonant voice,
began speaking in broken Tsurani, his gestures those of a
confidant instead of obedient property.

'By the gods, will you look at him!' exclaimed Lujan in
astonishment. 'He acts as if slaves were born with the right
to argue. If they're all as brazen as this fellow, it's no wonder
a slave master must beat their skins off to get a half day's
work from them.'

'Hush,' Mara waved her hand toward Lujan. 'I wish to
hear this.' She strained to understand the barbarian's
mangled Tsurani.

Suddenly the outworlder stopped speaking, his head
cocked to one side, as if he had made his point. The factor
looked overheated. He motioned to the assistant with the
tally slate and said in an exasperated tone, 'Line up! All of
you! Now!'

The slaves unhurriedly strung themselves out in a row.
From her overhead view from the gallery, Mara noticed that
the barbarians shuffled to their places in such a way as to
conceal the activities of two fellows, who were crouched
before the log palisade on the side that fronted onto the
river.

'What do you suppose they are doing?' she asked Lujan.

The warrior shrugged Tsurani style, the barest movement
of the shoulders. 'Mischief of some sort. I've seen needra
show more brains than that factor.'
Below, the overseer and the assistant with the slate began
laboriously to count the slaves. The two by the palisade
joined the line late, and by dint of a staged trip and some
scuffling as the off-balance man crashed into the row, the
tally keeper lost track of his count. He started over, looking
down to chalk a mark for each slave as he passed, while the
factor cursed and sweated at the delay.