"Boreal Moon - 02 - Ironcrown Moon" - читать интересную книгу автора (May Julian)

One of the knights said, УIs he likely to attack us with sorcery?Ф
УItТs not likely. Mattis is very weary from having performed an arduous windsearch earlier, and heТs temporarily unable to scry through the stone wall of the hut. But when he oversaw our villain half an hour ago, he was lying dead drunk inside. Inebriation quenches talent completely. Ready? Here we goЕФ
They closed in on the empty hovel. Snudge dismounted, drew his sword, and made the surrender demand. When there was no response, he ducked inside the croft, swiftly surveyed the interior, and gave a sigh of relief as he saw the sigils strewn on the floor and one of the books partially buried in some kind of sand or ash.
He emerged, looking crestfallen, and called out, УBad news, lads! Our bird has flown.Ф
There were disappointed groans and curses from the entire troop.
УAll right, hereТs what we do. IТm going to search this hut. HeТs left a lot of stuff behind that might provide valuable clues. Meanwhile, Vra-Mattis will scry the ground Сround about here until he finds the bastardТs tracks. HeТll lead the new pursuit. Follow him and keep your eyes well peeled. I have to warn you that our villain may be hiding beneath a cover spell. This kind of magic doesnТt really make a person invisible to the naked eyeЧbut it does try to fool you into not noticing the one whoТs covered. If you think you mightТve glimpsed a man on a mule and your mind tells you it was only fancy, donТt believe it! Point him out to your mates and ride straight at him. If you can get within five feet, heТll become clearly visible.Ф
УSwive me,Ф one of the men-at-arms muttered. УTricky business, running down magickers. Gimme plain old sheep-stealers and bandits any day.Ф
Mattis had been sitting his saddle with eyes squeezed shut while Snudge addressed the troop, casting about with his windsight. УHere they are!Ф the novice cried. УTracks made by the fugitive!Ф He urged his horse up the far side of the hollow and the rest of the warriors streamed after, shouting eagerly.
Snudge waited until the last one had disappeared before sheathing his sword and tying his horse to a juniper branch. He retrieved the sledgehammer and searched until he found a flattish rock the size of a cottage loaf. Leaving them just outside the croft, he entered the low door. Two men had certainly been here. One had ridden away while the other had disappeared, leaving all his gear, his saddle, a fine sword, and his mount behind. Carefully, he shook out the blankets and other equipment and piled them in a far corner, away from the canvas groundcloth where the sigils and ashes were scattered. The two wash-leather bags had obviously held the moonstones. He squatted and began collecting them, shaking off the clinging grit as best he could.
What was that filthy stuff? It had a faint noisome odor that was somehow familiar. He filled both bags with sigils, dusted off the book, and sat back on his heels, pondering. HeТd seen ash like this before.
It came to him. The dank lower chamber of Mallmouth BridgeТs bascule machinery. The treacherous armiger Mero Elwick in a rage of frustration, knowing he could never use Concealer himself and vowing that Snudge wouldnТt have it, either. A tremendous blow with a broadsword that left the sigil unharmed, while Mero himself was incinerated in a flash of defensive sorcery.
Something like that had happened to the missing thief.
УYes,Ф said a low-pitched voice from the hutТs doorway.
УWhoТs there?Ф Snudge cried. Drawing his sword, he crouched back against the opposite wall. A small cloaked person was standing there, visible only in silhouette.
УCome out, sir knight,Ф he said, Уand bring the sigils and the book with you.Ф
УAroint thee, whoreson!Ф Snudge cried, reaching with his left hand to touch Concealer and turn himself invisibleЧ
He froze stock-still, paralyzed in every muscle save those of his face. He spat out a curse.
УBe silent, Deveron Austrey. Or may I call you Snudge?Ф The figure stepped back and became discernible in the dawnlight, a little man whose head would have come barely to SnudgeТs shoulder, dressed in a suit of well-cured skin and wearing a cloak of mingled dark colors in a pattern that mimicked tree bark. His skin was sun-browned and his large eyes were a startling green. УBe calm. I mean no harmЧnot to you, especially, since youТre of the blood. I command you to put away your sword and come out. Bring the Trove of Darasilo.Ф
Compelled to obey, Snudge emerged in furious silence, placed the bags and the book on the ground, and glared at the stranger.
УMy name is Odall,Ф he said, Уand IТve been sent by the Source. Do you remember Red AnselТs Source? The one he spoke of when you and he sat in a small boat on Gala Bay, and you summoned the Light and quickened the Concealer sigil you wear next to your heart?Ф
Snudge felt his scalp tingle and his throat grow tight.
УDo you remember?Ф
УYes,Ф Snudge whispered. He began to inch towards Odall.
УThe Source has decided that youТre needed in the New Conflict. Ansel himself doesnТt know, and we Green Men arenТt allowed to tell him about you for a while yet. DonТt you mention this meeting of ours to him or anyone else, either.Ф
УYouТreЕ a Green Man?Ф
УYes. ThereТs more of us about than youТd think, but mostly we stick to the wild places where humans seldom go. If weТre taken unawares by one of you giants, we havenТt much of a chance.Ф
Snudge tried to keep his voice steady. УWhat do you want with me?Ф
УI came to stop you from smashing the sigils in the trove.Ф
УThe things are evil! They destroy peopleТs souls and bodies. I know that for a fact.Ф He continued to edge almost imperceptibly toward the little man.
Odall grinned. УNevertheless, youТre willing to use your Concealer sigil in what you think is a good cause. YouТd use it to help your master, Conrig Win-cantorЧand oddly enough, thatТs as it should be. Conrig will never know it, but heТs been enlisted to help in the New Conflict, too.Ф
УI donТt know what youТre talking about,Ф Snudge said sullenly.
УItТs not necessary that you should.Ф The cheerful demeanor of the Green Man vanished like a snuffed candleflame, and Snudge realized that he was once again quite incapable of movement. УDo you recall the words you used to bring Concealer to life?Ф
УYes,Ф Snudge said through his teeth. УWhy do you ask?Ф
Odall didnТt answer. He went into the croft, and after a few minutes came out with the saddle and harness that had belonged to the missing thief. The things should have been too heavy for one of his slight build to carry, but he flung pad and saddle onto the back of the mule as though they were weightless, expertly tightened the cinch, and shortened the stirrup leathers. УHow splendid that I can go home in style! IТve had a long foot-slog.Ф
When the mount was ready he picked up the ancient book, and as Snudge watched in fascinated horror, he tore off the cover with its moonstone disk and set it carefully on the rock Snudge had selected earlier as an anvil for his hammer. Then he opened one of the sigil sacks and took out a small oblong moonstone.
УSee this? ItТs name is Subtle Gateway, and itТs one of the Great Stones. Hold it tight, close your eyes, and say EMCHAY MO. Then tell it where you want to go. It will carry you anywhere in the world. If you should desire to take up to ten other persons with you, or three horses, or a boat up to four ells long, or a heap of goods equivalent to the weight of three horses, say EMCHAY ASINN. Clear enough?Ф
УNo, itТs not, damn your eyes!Ф Snudge strove without success to overcome the paralysis. His feet seemed rooted to the ground. УI donТt want to use a Great Stone thatТll put me in deep thrall to the Lights!Ф
УWell, thatТs as may be, and you do have a point. But the Source thinks youТll need Subtle Gateway in order to carry out your bounden duty, so youТre obliged to take it. With luck, you may only have to use it a few times and the pain-debt will be not too onerous. When your dutyТs fulfilled, weТll show you how to drain the stoneТs life, then get rid of it for you.Ф
УIt should be destroyed now, and so should the rest of DarasiloТs Trove!
For GodТs sake, Odall, why are you preventing me from ridding the world of these terrible things?У
УEasy, lad. Have no fear. These bags of sigils and the coverless book IТm taking will be destroyed, all right. But not just smashed to bits, as you planned to do. TheyТll be disposed of in a manner that serves the Source and hastens the downfall of the evil Lights.Ф
Odall placed the sigil named Subtle Gateway on the book cover and vaulted onto the back of the mule. УDonТt forget now: EMCHAY MO and EMCHAY ASINN are the words that conjure its power. The words of activation are the same as those you used for Concealer. And be very sure to name yourself Snudge to the Light, rather than Deveron Austrey, just as you did before. As Ansel told you, Snudge is your name, and yet itТs not. And so youТre not as beholden to the Lights when using their sigils as are certain other persons I could mention.Ф
УBut you havenТt explainedЧФ
The Green Man nicked the reins and turned the mule in the direction that Mattis and the warrior troop had taken. Speaking over his shoulder, he said, УSee that you move along to Tarn as soon as possible. Your duty lies there.Ф Odall and the mule vanished into thin air, and SnudgeТs body came back under his control.
УWait! Who is this Source? WhatТs he up to? How did he know how to find the sigils? They canТt be scried!Ф
True. But since sigils are a channel to the power of the Great Lights, the Lights may decide who shall oversee them. These were known about from long ages past, but were inaccessible until the two thieves removed them from Cola Palace. And of course we had to keep them safe from the Conjure-Queen as well.
The soft voice seemed to emanate from no particular direction, and was weighted with a profound sadness.
Snudge eyed Subtle Gateway and the torn book cover with loathing. УCurse you, Odall!Ф he shouted at the unseen speaker. УIТll be no oneТs catТs-paw!Ф
Someone laughed, a melancholy sound. If you believe that, then see that you fulfil your duty to King ConrigЧnot blindly and without question, but only as best you can.
УI wasnТt talking about the king.Ф Snudge looked about in bewilderment.