"Jean Lorrah - Empire 03 - Captives of the Savage Empire" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lorrah Jean)

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Prologue

THE LEGEND OF THE FIRST READER

Before there was an Aventine Empire the world was broken up into little kingdoms. In one of those
kingdoms lived a young man who had the power to Read-to know what was in other people's
mindsтАФbut he was the very first to have such power, and he did not know what to do with it, so he
remained a poor honest laborer.

In this kingdom the king had no sons, but he had one very beautiful daughter; all men who saw her
wanted to marry her. Since she did not know how to choose among her many suitors, she declared a
contest: Whoever could give her her heart's desire would have her hand.

So men brought her gold and jewels, fine horses, musicians and dancers to entertain her, perfumes and
spicesтАФand always she declared that their gifts were not her heart's desire.

The young Reader, though, was able to Read what was going on in the princess' mind as her suitors
displayed their treasures and were rejected. The king grew angrier and angrier as the girl refused one
after another of the fine, strong, wealthy men. The Reader knew that the king wanted his daughter to
marry a kingтАж but the daughter did not like the powerful men who tried to claim her hand.

Watching the princess each time there was a public ceremony for another suitor, and Reading her true
desire, the Reader fell deeply in love with her. At length, despite the fact that he was a common laborer
with no property to give her, he decided to risk pressing his suit. When he stepped forward, the people
laughed to see a poor man with no troop of servants carrying treasures, marching forward empty-handed
to the foot of the throne.

The king, however, was curious enough to allow the Reader to offer his gift. The young man drew himself
up, and addressed the princess. "All your life," he said, "you have had gold and jewels, slaves, furs and
perfumes, horses and falcons, treasures from all the lands of the world. All these your father can provide
for youтАФyet you say you do not have your heart's desire. Thus it cannot be any worldly treasure that you
long for. What you desire is the love of a good manтАФa man who is not bent on accumulating treasure or
making war on his enemiesтАФa man who will place you above all things as the greatest treasure of his
heart. This I can give you, as no man else."

Never before had the princess met a man who understood her deepest desires. "Yes!" she cried. "That is
my heart's desire! I shall love you above all men!"

But the king, who had thought the young man comical until his daughter's response, was maddened with
anger. "You lie!" he roared. "No daughter of mine would be so foolish as to forego power and wealth for
such frivolity! You are a liar, young man, and will die for daring to say such a thing about a member of the
king's family! And you," he added, turning to his daughter, "will deny what he has said, or I will have you
killed, too!"

"But I can prove it!" cried the young Reader. "I can tell you what is in your heartтАФI can hear any man's
thoughts! You are thinking that you want a strong and powerful man to marry your daughter and be king
after youтАФsomeone who will give her strong sons who will capture many lands and accumulate great
treasures. But if you could Read what was in her heart, you would know as I do that these things mean