"Robert Don Hughes - Pelman 03 - The Power and the Prophet" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hughes Robert Don)

to forget about me! I'm never going back there again!" Tahli-Damen crossed his arms protectively across
his chest. He was obviously con-cealing something within his robes. In his blindness, he was unaware of
how strongly that gesture directed Pelmen's atten-tion to the very object the man was trying to hide.
Pelmen knew at once what it was. "Don't try to block my path!" Tahli-Damen shouted and he started
backing away.

"I won't," Pelmen responded quietly. "But the mountain will."

"What mountain?"

"The one you're walking into."

Tahli-Damen set his jaw. "I'm climbing into Dragonsgate."

"I'd guessed that. Tell me. Have you encountered any pass-ing traffic?"

"There's been no traffic through the pass for a fortnight," Tahli-Damen grunted.

This news surprised Pelmen. It also caused him concern. Since he'd killed the great two-headed dragon,
Vicia-Heinox, the pass had been blocked only onceтАФby the villainous Admon Faye and a company of
slavers. Did cutthroats once again control Dragonsgate? He glanced back at Tahli-Damen's sus-picious
frown and thought of another argument to convince the man they weren't yet in the pass. "Tell me this.
Have you ever known ladsтАФeven the bravest or most foolhardy of Man boysтАФ to stray so deeply into a
pass frequented by slavers?"

Tahli-Damen dropped his head and thought on that for a moment. "No," he grumbled sourly.

"I'm on my way through Dragonsgate myself, and your news startles me. Perhaps we can be of mutual
assistance."

"Mutual assistance!" Tahli-Damen snorted derisively. "I can't even take the right pathway!"

"I disagree," said Pelmen quietly. "The color of your robe tells me otherwise."

Shock registered on Tahli-Damen's face, and he leaned for-ward, as if to peer through his personal fog.
"You know the significance of this color?"

"I'm gowned as you are. But tell me, how did you learn what it means? Are you from Lamath?"

Tahli-Damen sighed.. "I've spent time in Lamath. I've lived in all three lands. I used to be a merchant,
back in the days of the dragonтАФa trading captain. I saw this robe occasionally there. Not very often."

"We were few then," Pelmen muttered.

"And," Tahli-Damen continued, "1 learned a little about the Power. Didn't believe it then, of course."

"But now you do?" Pelmen said, asking by his inflection why the change had come.

"I got in trouble with some wizards. It cost me my sight. That plunged me into depression.
WayleethтАФthat's my wifeтАФ did all she could to make me feel better, but nothing could penetrate this