"Jane Lindskold - Firekeeper Saga 2 - Wolf's Head, Wolf's Heart" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lindskold Jane)

term in the navy. Each of these roles gave him access to different parts of the labyrinthine castle, yet he
could swear that he had never before even seen the door to which Lord Ivory led him that day.

"This, Your Majesty," said the Keeper of the Keys, "is the door to the Royal Treasury."

Allister frowned. He knew perfectly well where the treasury was. He'd been in and out of it many times in
his early twenties, when he did a stint as an auditor. Lord Ivory saw the frown, and thinned his lips over
old teeth in what a shark might call a smile.

"The Royal Treasury, Your Majesty," he repeated. "The one that only the monarch goes into. The crown
jewels are kept thereтАж and other things. She who is now Queen Valora made a visit here before she
left. She said she had to leave the crown for you."

"And you keep the keys for this treasury?" Allister asked.

"I do." Lord Ivory shook out a fat silver key from the bunch on his ring. "Shall I open the door for you?"

Allister knew Ivory Pelican was toying with him and disliked the game, but he couldn't see any reason not
to play along. The crown that had fit Valora's dainty head would look ridiculous on him, but two of the
former Gustins had been male, and one of their crowns should do. He had no wish to add having a new
crown crafted to the reasons for delaying his coronation.

Besides, there were things other than crowns among the crown jewels of Bright Bay, and Allister felt ice
in his gut at the thought of finally seeing them.

"Open the door," he said, hiding his sudden fear with brusqueness.

"One moment, Your Majesty." Lord Ivory selected a smaller, rather utilitarian key from his bunch and
used it to open a wooden cabinet tucked in an alcove along the hallway. "You will need light."

He drew out several triple-wicked candles set ready in a silver-gilt candelabrum. Lighting them from one
of the wall sconces, he extended the candelabrum to the king.

"Give it to Shad," Allister said. "I'd like him to come with me."

"Only the monarch goes into the treasury." Lord Ivory protested.

"Someday Shad will be king," Allister said firmly. "I think I'll start a new tradition."

He glanced at the guards, longtime retainers from his own estate. As of yet, he didn't know who he could
or could not trust from the castle guard. He didn't quite trust Valora not to leave behind some faithful
retainer with orders to slip a knife between his ribs.

The captain of the guard, Whyte Steel gave Allister an almost imperceptible nod. He, too, was seeing
assassins in every shadow.

Muttering protests, Lord Ivory unlocked the door. Thanking him, Allister stepped over the threshold. He
could hear Shad behind him. The young man's breathing came quick and excited, but to any less
proximate to him than his father, Shad probably seemed quite calm.