"David Gemmell - The Complete Chronicles of the Jerusalem Man" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gemmel David)

'Old? It is new to me, Fray Taybard. But, yes, it is older than any man knows and a mystery to this
world of broken dreams.'
'Please do not call me Fray, it makes me feel ancient. You may call me Donna. This is my son, Eric.'
Shannow nodded towards Eric and smiled, but the boy looked away and continued to eat. The
bearded stranger frightened him, though he was anxious not to show it. He glanced at the weapons
hanging by the door.
'Are they hand pistols?' he asked.
'Yes,' said Shannow. 'I have had them for seventeen years, but they are much older than that.'
'Do you make your own powder?'
'Yes, I have casts for the loads and several hundred brass caps.'
'Have you killed anyone with them?'
'Eric!' snapped his mother. тАШThat is no question to ask a guest - and certainly not at table.'


12
 THE COMPLETE CHRONICLES OF THE JERUSALEM MAN

They finished the meal in silence and Shannow helped her clear away the dishes. At the back of the
house was an indoor water pump, and together they cleaned the plates. Donna felt uncomfortable in
the closeness of the pump-room and dropped a plate which shattered into a score of shards on the
tiled wooden floor.
'Please do not be nervous,' he said, kneeling to collect the broken pieces.
'I trust you, Mr Shannow. But I have been wrong before.'
'I shall sleep outside and be gone in the morning. Thank you for the meal.'
'No,' she said, too hurriedly. тАШI mean - you can sleep in the comfort chair. Eric and I sleep in the back
room.'
'And Mr Taybard?'
'Has been gone for ten days. I hope he will be back soon; I'm worried for him.'
'I could look for him, if you would like. He may have fallen from his horse.'
'He was driving our wagon. Stay and talk, Mr Shannow; it is so long since we had company. You can
give us news of . . . where have you come from?'
'From the south and east, across the grass prairies. Before that I was at sea for two years - trading with
the Ice Settlements beyond Volcano Rim.'
'That is said to be the edge of the world.'
'I think it is where Hell begins. You can see the fires lighting the horizon for a thousand miles.'
Donna eased past him into the main room. Eric was yawning and his mother ordered him to bed. He
argued as all young people do, but finally obeyed her, leaving his bedroom door ajar.
Shannow lowered himself into the comfort chair, stretching his long legs out before the stove. His
eyes burned with fatigue.
'Why do you wander, Mr Shannow?' asked Donna, sitting on the goatskin rug in front of him.
'I am seeking a dream. A city on a hill.'
'I have heard of cities to the south.'
'They are settlements, though some of them are large. But no, my city has been around for much
longer, it was built, destroyed and rebuilt thousands of years ago. It is called Jerusalem and there is a
road leading to it - a black road, with glittering diamonds in the centre that shine in the night.'
тАШThe Bible city?'
'The very same.'
'It is not about here, Mr Shannow. Why do you seek it?'
He smiled. 'I have been asked that question many, many times and I cannot answer it. It is a need I
carry - an obsession, if you will. When the earth toppled and the oceans swelled, all became chaos.