"Elizabeth Haydon - Symphony of Ages - Threshold" - читать интересную книгу автора (Haydon Elizabeth)

sail.тАЭ The captain prepared to descend into the closest of the five remaining longboats.

Hector stopped him. тАЬI have found that each life I spare saves my own a little bit,тАЭ he said, shaking the
manтАЩs hand. тАЬThank you for helping me in this way, Captain Flynt.тАЭ

The captain nodded. тАЬIтАЩm sorry I wonтАЩt have the chance to know you longer, Sir Hector,тАЭ he said. Then
he stepped into the longboat, shouted orders to the crew, and disappeared into the devouring fog.



As the sun slipped below the horizon, the four remaining companions stood atop the ramparts of
sandbags, watching the dark masts of theStormrider become part of the twilight beyond the heavy mist,
listening to the crashing of the waves and the howling of the sea wind.

тАЬThat be it, then,тАЭ said Jarmon finally when night took hold, casting the last of the light from the sky.

The others said nothing. Anais climbed down from the sandbag wall, handed Jarmon the firebrand, and
jogged to the end of the pier, letting the fog swallow him. When he reached the edge he peered out into
the blackness but saw nothing.

тАЬGodspeed, Sevirym,тАЭ he shouted into the wind. тАЬMind the ice!тАЭ
Hector descended from the wall as well. тАЬI suppose we should put an hour or so into reinforcing the
sandbags,тАЭ he said, brushing the grit from his hands. тАЬThe burlap is long gone, but we can continue
spading and packing around the base of theтАФтАЭ His words choked off as his eyes came to rest on the
two shadows that hovered at the edge of the darkness behind them.

A woman was standing at the far end of the wharf that bordered the town, clutching the remains of a
tattered shawl around her thin shoulders. More wraith than human, she said nothing, but stared out into
the fog with hollow eyes.

Beside her was a child, a boy, it appeared, long of hair and slight, young enough to still warrant the
holding of his hand, though he stood alone. Like his mother his eyes were large and appeared dark in the
light of the brand, but unlike her he still showed signs of life behind those eyes.

The firelight flashed for a moment as JarmonтАЩs hand quivered.

тАЬAw,no, тАЭ he muttered. тАЬNo.тАЭ

For a moment the only sound at the edge of the pier was the ever-present howling of the wind. A
spattering of icy rain blew across the deserted wharf, stinging as it fell. Then Hector turned to the others,
angrily brushing the hair from his eyes.

тАЬJarmon, CanthaтАФfind me a longboat. There must be something still around here, a rowboat, a
fishermanтАЩs skiff, somethingтАФтАЭ

тАЬHectorтАФтАЭ Anais said quietly.

тАЬGive me the brand,тАЭ said Hector frantically, motioning to Jarmon. тАЬIтАЩll row them out quickly. The ship
will see the lightтАФтАЭ