"Julian May - Boreal Moon 2 - Ironcrown Moon" - читать интересную книгу автора (May Julian)

ourselves from scrierтАЩs lip-reading, our speech should be secure from her.тАЭ

тАЬWhat is it, Con?тАЭ Stergos had drawn the hood of his crimson cloak over his head so that his face was concealed.

тАЬI had disquieting news from Parlian Beorbrook tonight at the feast. You know heтАЩs just come down from an inspection of our Wold
Road outposts in western Didion.тАЭ

тАЬDonтАЩt tell me Prince Somarus is up to his old tricks!тАЭ

тАЬNo. As far as the earl marshal can tell, the bastardтАЩs lying doggo for the moment somewhere in the Lady Lakes region. BeorbrookтАЩs
news concerns something far more serious: a rumor that Maudrayne may be alive, hiding somewhere in Tarn. A traveler from Donorvale
said that the rumor has spread like wildfire over the past two weeks among the fishermenтАЩs taverns of the northwestern shore, and thence
to the low dives of the Tarnian capital.тАЭ

The hooded figure of the alchymist had given a great start as the king spoke his first wifeтАЩs name. тАЬSaint Zeth preserve usтАФitтАЩs not
possible that Maude lives! The conjoined minds of the Brotherhood searched the entire island, virtually inch by inch, and failed to scry
any trace of the Princess Dowager. Even UllanothтАЩs Subtle Loophole detected nothingтАФand the sigil supposedly can oversee anyone,
anywhere in the world.тАЭ

тАЬSo the Conjure-Queen says. But her close scrutiny took place four years ago, shortly after Maude was thought to have drowned. At the
time, Ulla admitted that her search might have been thwarted by Red Ansel Pikan. The magical capabilities of the Grand Shaman of Tarn
are unknown to her. He might have been able to block the action of the Great Stone. The painful search effort so debilitated Ullanoth that
she was forced to avoid using Loophole for many months. Since then, as far as I know, she has made no further attempt to look for
Maude.тАЭ

тАЬWhat are we to do, Con?тАЭ StergosтАЩs voice was taut with shock. He and the king had found and read MaudrayneтАЩs secret diary after her
presumed death. In it, she had revealed not only that she had conceived ConrigтАЩs child, but also her knowledge of her husbandтАЩs arcane
taint. тАЬIf the princess lives and has birthed a son not possessed of talent, you are undone! She knows your secret and could divulge it at
any time, with Ansel to testify to the truth of it. Even if your twin sons by Risalla are accepted as normal, the law says that MaudrayneтАЩs
boy must inherit your crown if you are deposed.тАЭ

тАЬIf she lives! And if she tells what she knows and produces the normal-minded male child. Here is where I require your advice, Gossy.
Would it be wise for me to once again enlist the Conjure-Queen in the search for Maude? IтАЩm reluctant to do so, since it would give Ulla
even more power over me than she has now. I feel IтАЩd be jumping from the hot griddle into the fire pit.тАЭ

тАЬMy God, yes. Her ambitionsтАж Con, you know IтАЩve never trusted the woman.тАЭ

тАЬYes, yes,тАЭ the king said impatiently. тАЬNevertheless, her Loophole probably holds out the best chance of locating Maude and any child
she may have had.тАЭ

тАЬPerhaps not, if Red Ansel still keeps the Princess Dowager under his protection. But even the most powerful sorcery has limitations. For
instance, Maudrayne and her child could not live permanently inside a spell of invisibility woven by Ansel. Such an existence would be
insupportable to the healthy human temperament. Furthermore, a high-spirited woman such as Maude would never consent to be
immured within some impregnable magical fortress for years upon end.тАЭ



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 May, Julian - Boreal Moon 2 - Ironcrown Moon