"George R. R. Martin - In the House of the Worm" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin George R R)

├втВм┼УHe deserted us. He has no claim to my protection. It is better for the yaga-la-hai to watch and to
follow, to see what the Meatbringer does with the great-grandson of a Manworm.├втВмтАв His tone gave no
room for appeal or argument.

Annelyn shivered, and moved away from Groff, who was once again watching intently with no flicker of
movement. Briefly Annelyn had lost himself, allowed himself to trust and obey the older man, simply
because Groff was a knight, because Groff knew the groun-runs. Suddenly he remembered his pride and
his revenge.

Riess came to him. "Annelyn," he said, his voice trembling. ├втВм┼УWhat can we do?"

"Vermyllar brought this on himself,├втВмтАв Annelyn whispered. ├втВм┼УBut we shall rescue him, if we can.├втВмтАв
He had no idea how├втВмтАЭit was one thing for Groff to face the Meatbringer with his great ax, but if the
knight would not help...

Groff looked over his shoulder at them. He smiled.

Annelyn saw with a start that inside, the Meatbringer had risen. He was undressing, stripping off his suit
of milk-white grounskin and his cloak of colorless groun-hair. He turned his broad back to them, a
well-muscled expanse of mottled flesh, while he tossed his clothing over an arm of his throne and
rummaged through a pile of other clothes.

"Groff,├втВмтАв Annelyn said firmly, ├втВм┼Уwe must save Vermyllar, useless though he is. He amuses me. There
are two of us, you know, and only one of you, and you need our help.├втВмтАв Riess, behind him, was
making faint choking noises.

Groff looked at them again, and sighed. ├втВм┼УDo either of you know the way back up?├втВмтАв he asked,
simply.

Annelyn fell silent. He did not know the way back, he realized. They would be lost in darkness.
├втВм┼УRiess,├втВмтАв he started to whisper.
The Meatbringer pulled on new clothing and turned again toward Vermyllar. A knife was in his hand. He
looked different. He wore a suit of fine mocha leather, and over his shoulders was draped a long cape of
curling hair that glinted softly like spun gold in the firelight. He muttered something, deep in his throat, with
a voice such as the grouns used in all the tales that Annelyn had ever heard.

Vermyllar was suddenly shockingly sane. ├втВм┼УNo,├втВмтАв he shouted. ├втВм┼УNo! My grandfather was a son
of the Manworm!"

The Meatbringer slit his throat, and stepped nimbly aside as the blood came out in spurts and the body
twitched. He caught some of the blood in a cup, and drank it with obvious satisfaction. The rest
darkened the bed and ran across the floor, one trickle coming toward the worm-children as if it knew
where they lurked in the shadow.

When Vermyllar was quite still, the Meatbringer loosed his shackles, and hoisted the body up on one
broad shoulder. Annelyn watched, frozen in shock, and it came to him suddenly how often the
Meatbringer had walked among the yaga-la-hai, carrying a groun carcass in just that way.

Groff glanced quickly around when the Meatbringer started toward them. None of the burrows offered
even the promise of concealment. ├втВм┼УDown the rope,├втВмтАв the knight whispered urgently.