"Katherine Kerr - Deverry 08 - A Time Of Justice" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kerr Katherine)

queen?'

тАШThe one woman I've ever loved who's truly loved me in return.' Rhodry flung one hand in the air in
salute. 'My lady, Death. Oh, we've had a long fine affair of it, Death and I, and always have I served her
well, sending her many a pretty gift from battle. Someday she'll take pity on me, like she takes pity on all
men, and let me sleep in her cold cold arms. I tell you, Wyrm. I begin to long for her more and more.тАЩ

Arzosah stared at him, her huge and alien eyes unreadable. At length he laughed, but it was just a normal
sort of chuckle.

'If you've drunk enough,тАЩ he said, 'it's time to fly south.тАЩ

'I suppose you're going to put those nasty ropes round me again.тАЩ

'I am. But not as many this time, because Enj will be staying here.тАЩ

'Well, that's one thing to the good, then. He'd get so beastly sick, and I was always afraid he was going
to soil my scales with one of his ends or the other. Are you sure I can't just eat him and put him out of his
misery?'

'Very sure. Now, come along.тАЩ

As Rhodry started to walk back to the camp, dweomer touched him as tangibly as a cold hand, then let
go and vanished. He suddenly felt as if someone were watching or trying to watch him before this
disembodied gaze swept on and disappeared. He swore aloud.

'What is it?' Arzosah snapped. 'You've turned white.тАЩ

'Let's get out of here. Someone's looking for us, just like Evandar said, and I don't much like it.'

'I don't suppose any creature in its right mind would. Here! I just thought of somewhat. You've got that
lovely talisman round your neck, so how did Evandar find us? Unless, of course -' She paused for a
clack of fangs. 'Unless love guided him.'

'Hold your black and ugly tongue, Wyrm, or I'll order you into that river!'

Rhodry turned on his heel and strode back to camp, with Arzosah padding after in a rumble of laughter.

Every morning at dawn Jill would leave her chamber in the broch of the gwerbret's dun. She'd trudge up
the five floors' worth of circling staircase and climb through the trap door onto the flat roof of the main
tower, which had become an arsenal of sorts. All round the edge stood little pyramids of stones, ready
for a last desperate defence, and bound sheaves of arrows wrapped in oiled hides to keep off the rain.
While she caught her breath, she would look out and consider their situation. Like an island from a
shallow sea, the three hills of the city of Cengarn rose from its besiegers, who spread out on all sides and
camped just beyond bowshot from the town walls.

Cengarn lay in a beautiful situation for defence. To the north, across a narrow valley, lay broken ground
lower than the city itself, and beyond that strip rose hills that would have taken two armies to secure
against a counter-force. Even though the invaders had to place men on the north ground to complete their
line, those troops were exposed and vulnerable. To the east, the broken ground became a long ridge,