"Simon Hawke - Dark Sun - Tribe of One 03 - The Nomad" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hawke Simon)

assistance. That is undeniable. It is said he carries an enchanted sword about which there is some sort of
foolish legend ... the ancient, lost sword of elven kings or some such thing."
"Galdra!" said the Shadow King.
Veela frowned. "Why, yes, my lord. That is the name given to the sword in the stories I have heard."
Nibenay stared out the window, as if deep in thought. "It is no mere story," he replied. "At least, not
that part of it. Galdra is real enough. The sword exists, though it has been lost for generations. Have you
spoken with anyone who claims to have seen this sword?"
"I have, my lord."
"Did they describe it?"
"Yes, my lord. I was told it is made of elven steel, though I have never heard of such a thing, and of an
unusual configuration. The blade, as it was described to me, is something of a cross between a falchion and
a cutlass, broad and leaf-shaped at the tip, with an ornate hilt wrapped in silver wire."
"And is there a legend inscribed upon the blade?" Nibenay asked anxiously. "I do not know, my lord."
For a few moments, the dragon king remained silent, his tail twitching back and forth. Veela wondered at
this sudden interest in this elfling known as the Nomad. He appeared in the city out of nowhere, caused
rioting and havoc, and then just as quickly disappeared. No one knew what had become of him. "It could
be," said Nibenay at last. "It could be the sword called Galdra. If so, its reappearance after all these years is
a bad omen. Alone, that would be significant enough, but in the hands of one whose like has never before
been seen.... a preserver who can summon to his aid both the Alliance and the elves, a master of the Way
despite his youthful age . . . and then there is his name. The Nomad. The one who always walks alone, and
yet is not alone. Everything about him has the air of portent, curse him."
In spite of herself, Veela could not resist a question. "Portent, my lord?" she said.
"I sensed his presence from the moment he came into the city," said the Shadow King. "Yet, I did not
know what it was. I only knew that something ... someone... had impinged on my awareness in a way that
had not happened since...." His voice trailed off.
Veela was anxious for him to continue, but she had already overstepped her bounds. Nibenay seemed
not to notice. She had never seen him like this before.
"What does a nomad do, Veela?" Nibenay asked finally.
"Why . . ." She was not sure how to respond. Should she take the question literally? "I suppose he ...
wanders, my lord."
"Yes," said the Shadow King, drawing the word out into a sibilant hiss. "He wanders. Yes, indeed."
Veela was at a loss to understand what he meant. Who was this Nomad that Nibenay, who had long
since ceased to have any concerns about what went on in his city, was so preoccupied with? What was his
significance that he should so trouble a sorcerer-king, before whose power every living creature quaked?
"Have you learned nothing else?" asked Nibenay.
"No, my lord. I have told you all I have been able to discover. And as I have said before, I cannot
vouch for the veracity of some of the things I have been told."
Nibenay nodded. "You have done well," he said, giving her an unprecedented compliment. "There is
more I need to know, however."
"I shall make further inquiries at once, my lord," said Veela.
"No," he said. "He has left the city. I can no longer sense his presence. I doubt there is much more
you can discover now."
"As you wish, my lord," she said, bowing her head.
She waited to be dismissed, but the order was not immediately forthcoming. Instead, the Shadow King
issued another command.
"Bring me Valsavis."
Veela's eyes grew wide at the mention of the name. It was a name she had not heard spoken in years,
a name that those few who still knew it rarely dared to speak aloud.
"It has been many years, my lord," she said, uneasily. "He may no longer be alive."
"Valsavis lives," said Nibenay, stating it as a fact not to be disputed. "Bring him to me."