"Frankowski, Leo - Stargard 3 - The Radiant Warrior" - читать интересную книгу автора (Frankowski Leo)

УNo, my lord, you hadnТt.Ф Count Lambert had gotten entirely too good at the modem far-flung sort of chess-style. This time I threw an old-fashioned Stonewall attack at him.

УWell, you remember that the problems were that my lands are many daysТ walk across, and if the peasants acting as beaters had to be out more than one day, we would have difficulty sheltering them at night, for the hunt must take place in the late fall, when the game is the fattest and the furs are good.Ф

УAlso, no one knew how we could keep the wolves from sneaking out in the dark.Ф

УThe solution is simple. Not one big hunt, but a lot of smaller ones! I shall divide my lands into many smaller Тhunting districts.' Each of these will be of such a size that a man can walk from the border to the center in less than a day.Ф He replied to the Stonewall in the standard manner. He hadn't forgotten a thing!

УInteresting, my lord, but what stops the animals from crossing from one district to another between hunts? You could have one district cleaned out, and then have it reinfested before you cleared out the next.Ф I fianchettoed my queenТs bishop.

УNot if we do all of them on the same day! I think I have peasants enough to do it, and if the nobles tire of the sport, why, the commoners can help with the killing as well. Also, I think that many knights from the surrounding counties might well come if invited.Ф He was pushing in at my center again.

УIt sounds good to me, my lord. You can count on my support.Ф I castled kingТs side.

УMore than that, Sir Conrad. I was counting on your leadership. I want you to organize the thing.Ф

УWell, if you wish, my lord. But are you sure that IТm the best man for the job? I really don't know much about hunting. I don't know the borders of your lands at all. And I don't know which of your knights and barons own which sections of your lands. I don't even know who the surrounding counts are, except for your brother.Ф

УIt could be a very remunerative position, Sir Conrad. As Master of the Hunt, you could claim a certain portion of the take for yourself. All the deer skins, for example.Ф

УThank you, my lord. But I repeat, IТll do it if you want me to, but I don't think I'm the best man for it.Ф

УIТve already said that I want you to!Ф

I sighed. When Count Lambert wants something, he gets it. Best to bow to the inevitable. УAs you wish, my lord, and thank you. Would you object if I appointed a deputy to assist me?Ф

УNot in the least. Who did you have in mind?Ф

УI think IТll ask Sir Miesko first. If he's not interested, then perhaps Sir Vladimir. Ф

УExcellent. Let me know when everythingТs settled. No hurry on anything. Work all winter if you need to.Ф

УThank you, my lord. On another subject, the second mill, the one that is to thresh and grind grain. I canТt help noticing that work is slowing down. Do you know why that is?Ф I was being smashed back into the corners again.

УIn fact I do. I ordered it slowed down because I havenТt figured out yet what to do with my lawbreakers if there is no grain to grind. As it is, if there are no lawbreakers, my peasants must take turns at the hand-operated mill. After all, the grain must be ground and everybody knows it. This keeps them all on the lookout for any infraction. It also gives me a form of punishment that everyone knows is not cruel, but simply tedious. Few men would turn in a neighbor for a whipping, but for a few days at the stone? Why, that's treated with humor.Ф

УAs a result, I have very little real crime and my people all love me. But without their having to grind grain, what am I to do?Ф

УI see, my lord. So you need a job that is unpleasant but necessary, and must be done year around by a few men. Ф

УYes. You have a thought?Ф

УPerhaps, my lord. Did you know that right here, we are sitting on top of one of the worldТs major coal deposits?Ф

УCoal? Right here?Ф

УMany layers of coal, my lord. They stretch almost all the way from Cracow to Wroclaw. I donТt know how far down the first big seam is around here, but it's one of the thickest in the world, more than two dozen yards thick in most places. I would guess that it's at least eight dozen yards down. But most farmers would find working in a mine to be unpleasant.Ф

УYes, I can see it! It might work! Slaving all day in the cold and dark and wet! They are cold, wet, and dark, arenТt they?Ф