"Marco,.John.-.Tyrants.And.Kings.3.-.Saints.Of.The.Sword" - читать интересную книгу автора (Marco John)

An expectant murmur bubbled up. Dakel let it dissipate before
continuing. He whirled on the duke.

"Duke Angoris, you are called before these good people of Nar for
crimes against humankind, for sedition, for treason, for barbarity,
and for genocide. These are the facts in my ledger. Shall I read
them for you?"

Duke Angoris began to croak an answer but the Inquisitor silenced
him with a flourish of his sleeves.

"People," he said, turning again toward the crowd. "Worthy
citizens." He smiled. "Friends. When you hear the charges against
Duke Angoris, you will have no doubt as to the rightness of this
tribunal. I know there are those among you who doubt what we do
here. Do not doubt. Listen. And keep your ears open for the most
appalling tales."

Angoris grit his teeth. He had no barrister to defend him, only his
own wits and the infrequent opportunities Dakel gave him to speak.
The Inquisitor glided closer to the dais and unrolled the scroll in his
spidery hands. He read it to himself, shaking his head in disgust.

"Duke Angoris," he began. "On the first day of winter you usurped
the throne of the south fork of Dragon's Beak. You killed the
surviving members of Duke Enli's household and took control from
the ruling magistrate, who had been sent there by our own
emperor. Is that so?"

"The throne was empty," Angoris said. "The emperor's to blame
for that."

"And in your killing spree the magistrate and his wife were
murdered also, correct?"

Angoris was silent.

"You impaled them, did you not?"

The duke groped for an answer. Every word in Dakel's ledger was
true, but admitting it came hard. Angoris was a stubborn man, with
a head like granite and a fiery streak of independence. He had
declared himself duke of the south fork of Dragon's Beak after the
death of Enli, the rightful duke. Then he had set out for the ruined
north fork.

"Answer the question," rumbled Dakel. "Did you not order the
magistrate and his wife impaled?"

The duke answered, "I did."