"Robert E. Howard - Conan - The Tower Of Elephant" - читать интересную книгу автора (Howard Robert E)

the gutters. His cheap tunic could not conceal the hard, rangy lines of his
powerful frame, the broad heavy shoulders, the massive chest, lean waist, and
heavy arms. His skin was brown from outland suns, his eyes blue and
smoldering; a shock of tousled black hair crowned his broad forehead. From his
girdle hung a sword in a worn leather scabbard.

The Kothian involuntarily drew back; for the man was not one of any civilized
race he knew.
"You spoke of the Elephant Tower," said the stranger, speaking Zamorian with
an alien accent. "I've heard much of this tower; what is its secret?"

The fellow's attitude did not seem threatening, and the Kothian's courage was
bolstered up by the ale and the evident approval of his audience. He swelled
with self-importance.

"The secret of the Elephant Tower?" he exclaimed. "Why any fool knows that
Yara the priest dwells there with the great jewel men call the Elephant's
Heart, that is the secret of his magic."

The barbarian digested this for a space.

"I have seen this tower," he said. "It is set in a great garden above the
level of the city, surrounded by high walls. I have seen no guards. The walls
would be easy to climb. Why has not somebody stolen this secret gem?"

The Kothian stared wide-mouthed at the other's simplicity, then burst into a
roar of derisive mirth, in which the others joined.

"Harken to this heathen!" he bellowed. "He would steal the jewel of Yara! --
Harken, fellow," he said, turning portentously to the other, "I suppose you
are some sort of a northern barbarian--"

"I am a Cimmerian," the outlander answered, in no friendly tone. The reply and
the manner of it meant little to the Kothian; of a kingdom that lay far to the
south, on the borders of Shem, he knew only vaguely of the northern races.

"The give ear and learn wisdom, fellow," said he, pointing his drinking jack
at the discomfited youth. "Know that in Zamora, and more especially in this
city, there are more bold thieves than anywhere else in the world, even Koth.
If mortal man could have stolen the gem, be sure it would have been filched
long ago. You speak of climbing the walls, but once having climbed, you would
quickly wish yourself back again. There are no guards in the garden at night
for a very good reason -- that is no human guards. But in the watch chamber,
in the lower part of the tower, are armed men, and even if you passed those
who roam the gardens by night, you must still pass through the soldiers, for
the gem is kept somewhee in the tower above."

"But if a man _could_ pass throught the gardens," argued the Cimmerian, "why
could he not come at the gem through the upper part of the tower and thus
avoid the soldiers?"