"David Gemmell - Stones of Power 1 - Ghost King" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gemmel David)

'Thank you for the wood.'
'It is my duty to see you safe.' Gwalchmai left the room and Thuro rose and wandered to the
window, moving aside the heavy velvet curtain and staring out over the winter landscape: rolling
hills covered in snow, skeletal trees black as charcoal. He shivered and wished for home.
He too would have been happier if Maedhlyn had journeyed with them, for he enjoyed the old man's
company and the quickness of his mind - and the games and riddles the Enchanter set him. One had
occupied his mind for almost a full day last summer, while his father had been in the south
routing the Jutes. Thuro had been sitting with Maedhlyn in the terraced garden, in the shade cast
by the statue of the great Julius.
There was a prince,' said Maedhlyn, his green eyes sparkling, 'who was hated by his king but loved
by the people. The king decided the prince must die, but fearing the wrath of the populace he
devised an elaborate plan to end both the prince's popularity and his life. He accused him of
treason and offered him Trial by Mithras. In this way the Roman god would judge the innocence or
guilt of the accused.
'The prince was brought before the king and a large crowd was there to see the judgement. Before
the prince stood a priest holding a closed leather pouch and within the pouch were two grapes. The
law said that one grape should be white, the other black. If the accused drew a white grape, he
was innocent. A black grape meant death. You follow this, Thuro?'
'It is simple so far, teacher.'
'Now the prince knew of the king's hatred and guessed, rightly, that there were two black grapes
in the pouch. Answer me this, young quicksilver: How did the prince produce a white grape and
prove his innocence?'
'It is not possible, save by magic.'
'There was no magic, only thought,' said Maedhlyn, tapping his white-haired temple for emphasis.
'Come to me tomorrow with the answer.'
Throughout the day Thuro had thought hard, but his mind was devoid of inspiration. He borrowed a
pouch from Listra the cook, and two grapes, and sat in the garden staring at the items as if in
themselves they harboured the answer. As dusk painted the sky Trojan red, he gave up. Sitting
alone in the gathering gloom he took one of the grapes and ate it. He reached for the other - and
stopped.
The following morning he went to Mae-dhlyn's study. The old man greeted him sourly - having had a
troubled night, he said, with dark dreams.
'I have answered your riddle, master,' the boy told him. At this the Enchanter's eyes came alive.
'So soon, young prince? It took the noble Alexander ten days, but then perhaps Aristotle was less
gifted than myself as a tutor!' He chuckled. 'So tell me, Thuro, how did the prince prove his
innocence?'
'He put his hand into the pouch and covered one grape. This he removed and ate swiftly. He then
said to the priest, "I do not know what colour it was, but look at the one that is left." '
Maedhlyn clapped his hands and smiled. 'You please me greatly, Thuro. But tell me, how did you
come upon the answer?'
'I ate the grape.'
'That is good. There is a lesson in that also. You broke the problem down and examined the
component parts. Most men attempt to solve riddles by allowing their minds to leap like monkeys
from branch to branch, without ever realising that it is the root that needs examining. Always
remember that, young prince. The method works with men as well as it works with riddles.'
Now Thuro dragged his thoughts from the golden days of summer back to the bleak winter night. He
removed his leggings and slid under the blankets, turning on his side to watch the flickering
flames in the hearth.
He thought of his father - tall and broad-shouldered with eyes of ice and fire, revered as a