"Stephen R. Lawhead - Avalon, The Return Of King Arthur (v4.0)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lawhead Stephen)

greatness ever coming to fruition. After all, it is one thing to pretend oneself a prince
or a pirate; but who, in all sanity, could imagine тАФ much less orchestrate тАФ the
extraordinary interplay of incident and accident, chance and serendipity, as well as
the immense complexity of enterprise needed to make such a pretense possible in
reality?
That this dream should become solid waking reality seemed no less incredible to
James than it would have to anyone else. Although he experienced it daily, he did not
pretend to fathom it. If pressed for an explanation, he would only shake his head and
say that there were forces in this universe which even the most gifted among us
apprehend but dimlyтАж and the rest of us not at all.
Privately, however, deep in his secret heart, he thought that if there was a higher
power at work in the world, shaping men to its purpose, then might we not
apprehend it in action from time to time? And if so, might not that action look
suspiciously like destiny?


Like everyone else in Britain, James learned of the KingтАЩs death from television. It
was a cold Thursday night in November, and he was at the Pipe & Drum with Calum
and Douglas, watching Hearts in action against Celtic on big-screen TV. Aberdeen
was down by one and mounting an attack in the closing seconds of the first half
when the picture blanked and a Stand By sign flashed on.
тАЬHey!тАЭ shouted Cal тАФ and half the pub with him. тАЬBring back the football!тАЭ
While the pub crowd was moaning about the interruption, the face of newsreader
Jonathan Trent suddenly appeared. тАЬWe interrupt this broadcast,тАЭ he said, тАЬto bring
you a special news bulletin.тАЭ
тАЬTurn it up!тАЭ shouted someone from the back.
тАЬShut up, and youтАЩll hear it!тАЭ
тАЬListen!тАЭ hissed the crowd.
тАЬThe King is dead,тАЭ intoned Jonathan Trent. тАЬI repeat: Edward the Ninth, King of
England, is dead. Turning to our correspondent, Kevin Clark, on the Portuguese
island of Madeira, we bring you this report.тАЭ
The announcement sent a rumble through the room. тАЬWell, IтАЩll beтАж Did you hear
that?тАЭ asked Calum.
тАЬI canтАЩt hear a thing,тАЭ James complained.
Instantly, the scene changed to a fresh-faced Kevin Clark, holding a microphone and
pressing his left palm against his ear. He was standing in front of a large,
modern-looking building in the dark, and he was saying, тАЬI am here outside the
Hospital Assun├з├гo, the medical facility where the body of the King was taken earlier
this evening тАФ about eight oтАЩclock unofficially тАФ by ambulance from his villa in
Funchal. Initial reports, yet to be confirmed, indicate that the King suffered gunshot
wounds and was pronounced dead on arrival in the trauma room.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩll beтАжтАЬ whispered Douglas. тАЬThe old bastard really is dead.тАЭ
тАЬIt is not known at this hour,тАЭ continued the foreign correspondent, тАЬthe
circumstances surrounding the incident. I am told the Portuguese authorities have
mounted a preliminary investigation, and we expect to be issued a report within the
hour.тАЭ
The scene switched back to Jonathan Trent in the London studio. тАЬThank you,
Kevin. Can you tell us the reaction of the British Consul in Madeira?тАЭ
тАЬI can indeed, Jonathan,тАЭ replied Kevin with suitable gravity. тАЬThe consulate staff is,
of course, well aware of the implications of this tragic event, and are extending their