"Katherine Kurtz - Deryni 1 - Deryni Rising" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kurtz Katherine)

animals-and other things." The king grew suddenly distant, and he toyed
absently with the riding crop in his gloved hand.
Kelson caught the change of mood, and after a studied pause he moved his horse
closer to the older man. His father had not been entirely open about Morgan in
the past few weeks. And the absence of conversation about the young general
had been keenly felt. Perhaps this was the time to pursue the matter. He
decided to be blunt.
"Sire, forgive me if I speak out of turn, but why haven't you recalled Morgan
from the border marches?"
Brion felt himself go tense, forced himself to conceal his surprise. How had
the boy known that? Morgan's whereabouts had been a closely guarded secret for
nearly two months now. Not even the Council knew just where he was, or why. He
must tread softly until he could ascertain just how much the boy knew,
"Why do you ask, Son?"
"I don't mean to pry, Sire," the boy replied. "Fm certain you have reasons
even the Council isn't aware of. I've missed him, though. And I $ink you have,
too."
Khadasa! The boy was perceptive! It was as though he'd read the unspoken
thoughts. If he was to avoid the Morgan question, he would have to steer
Kelson away from the subject quickly.
Brion permitted himself a wan smile. "Thanks for your vote of confidence. I'm
afraid you and I are among the few who've missed him, however. I'm sure you're
aware of the rumors afoot in the past weeks."
"That Morgan is out to depose you?" Kelson replied guardedly. "You don't
really believe that, do you? And that isn't the reason he's still at Cardosa,
either."
Brion studied the boy out of the corner of his eye, his crop tapping lightly
against his right boot where Kelson couldn't see it. Cardosa, even.
The boy certainly had a good source of information, whatever it was. And he
was persistent, too. He had deliberately turned the conversation back to
Morgan's absence, despite his father's efforts to avoid the issue. Perhaps
he'd misjudged the boy. He tended to forget that Kelson was nearly fourteen,
of legal age. Brion himself had been only a few years older when he came to
the throne.
He decided to release a bit of concrete information and see how the boy would
react.
"No, it isn't. I can't go into too much detail right now, Son. But there is a
major crisis brewing at Cardosa, and Morgan is keeping an eye on it, Wencit of
Torenth wants the city, and he's already broken two treaties in his efforts to
annex it By next spring we'll probably be formally at war." He paused. "Does
that frighten you?"
Kelson studied the ends of his reins carefully before replying. "I've never
known real war," he said slowly, his gaze shifting out across the plain. "As
long as I've been alive, there's been peace in the Eleven Kingdoms. One would
think men could forget how to fight after fifteen years of peace,"
Brion smiled and allowed himself to relax slightly. He seemed to have
succeeded in shifting the topic of discussion away from Morgan at last, and
that was good.
"They never forget, Kelson. That's part of being human, I'm sorry to say."
"I suppose so," Kelson said. He reached down and patted the bay's neck,