"Katherine Kurtz - Camber 3 - Camber the Heretic" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kurtz Katherine)

"Last Rites, indeed!" Cinhil repeated, shaking his head in outraged disbelief,
but chuckling just the same. "I'm supposed to be the one who's dying, and he
wants the Last Rites. Oh, go ahead and see him, Alister. But you tell him that
I'll expect to see him here at Court for a full explanation, as soon as he's able to
ride again!"
"That I shall certainly do, Sire," Camber replied, returning Cinhil's chuckle.
"Good day, Sire, Jebediah. Joram, we'd best ride, if we're to get back by dark."
When Camber and Joram had left the room, Cinhil sat quietly for several
seconds, his grey eyes focused through and beyond the disrupted gameboard,
then beckoned Jebediah to come closer.
"Jeb, I need you to do something for me."
"Of course, Sire. What is it?"
"I want you to visit the royal nursery and observe my sons. Talk to their
tutors, if you can. Especially, talk to Lord Tavis. You're Deryni. Perhaps he'll
listen to you. Try to make him see why it's important to get along with Murdoch
and the other governors. Murdoch seems to have some concern about his
influence over Javan."
"So far as I know, Javan is doing well, Sire," Jebediah replied, a little
guardedly. "His weapons mastery is improving markedly. He hasn't the agility
on foot that his brothers have, of course, but he makes up for it in other ways.
And frankly, his wit is much quicker than Alroy's. It's too bad that the good
points of both boys couldn't have been put into one."
"Aye, there should never have been two," Cinhil sighed wistfully. "I wonder
why that happens? Their mother was overanxious to give me another heir, God
rest her sweet soul. But do check on that for me, will you, Jeb? My time grows
short, and I would not leave my sons totally unprepared."
And in the corridor outside, Camber drew his son into an alcove and looked
furtively up and down the passageway, silencing Joram's incipient inquiry with
a glance and a shake of his head. Taking Rhys' letter from his sash, he opened
it and scanned the lines again, running his fingertip thoughtfully over the seal
at the bottom of the page.
"There's more to this than meets the eye, Joram. This is no mere whim of
Gregory's. Even injured, he would not summon me without good reason. He
knows Cinhil is ill. Nor would Rhys send such a message for him."
"I didn't think it sounded like either of them," Joram replied. "Is there
something more in the seal, perhaps?"
"I think so," Camber murmured, holding it closer and scrutinizing it more
carefully. "Keep watch, will you?"
And as Joram turned to the business of scanning the corridor, Camber held
his sensitive fingertips on the seal and closed his eyes, letting his breathing
deepen and then slow as he triggered the light trance which would enable any
other message to come through. For several seconds he reached out with his
mind until he caught and held the thought beyond the words penned on the
parchment. Then he opened his eyes and exhaled softly. Joram returned his
attention to his father.
"Bad?"
"I don't know," Camber said puzzledly. "I'm still not sure what he's talking
about, but the implications are staggering. It's Rhys's message. He thinks he's
taken away Gregory's Deryni abilities!"
chapter three