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

тАЬI beseech you not to leave her here with the terrible sea-hag. LookтАФIтАЩll give you a fine reward if you but reconsider.тАЭ

She pulled the splendid necklace of opal and gold out from her dress and made as if to unfasten the catch at the back of her neck.

тАЬSwive me!тАЭ the fisherman gasped, undisguised greed widening his eyes. тАЬThatтАЩs a beaut! Fire-stones the size of quail eggs.тАЭ

тАЬThe clasp is stuck. Come help me open it. The bauble is yours in payment for RusgannтАЩs passage.тАЭ

тАЬHuh! I reckon itтАЩs mine anyhow!тАЭ And he was on her as fast as a heron striking, laughing in malicious triumph. He took hold of the
pendant stones and gave a painful tug. She was aware of his wiry eyebrows and foul breath and the bits of food caught in his beard as she
pulled the kitchen knife from the pocket of her apron and drove it into his throat just to the side of his windpipe, severing the great blood

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 May, Julian - Boreal Moon 2 - Ironcrown Moon


vessels of the neck as sheтАЩd done many a time hunting, when putting a downed and wounded game animal out of its misery.

Lukort uttered a bubbling croak and, staggering, caught her by the hair. She yanked the knife free and an amazing jet of blood shot from
the wound, soaking the two of them as they fell in a tangle of flailing limbs. With him struggling beneath her, she stabbed him again, this
time taking him between the ribs. She screamed, тАЬRusgann!тАЭ

The maid rushed forward, a granite stone the size of a turnip in one hand. She used the other to pull Maudrayne aside and smashed the
rock into LukortтАЩs crimson-smeared face. Kneeling beside him, she struck again and again and again until there was nothing human left
of his features.

тАЬStop,тАЭ Maudrayne said at last. тАЬHeтАЩs dead, bled out like a stuck deer. But take care, his boy Vorgo is coming back in the little boat.тАЭ

тАЬDad!тАЭ wailed the big youth, his lumpy countenance full of horror. He sat as though paralyzed in the coracle, which drifted in the
shallows a dozen ells away. тАЬDad!тАЭ

Maudrayne rose slowly to her feet, a figure tall and hideous with gore, holding the red-stained knife high. тАЬNow for you!тАЭ she howled,
wading into the sea. The youth stared at her in disbelief, then threw himself over the gunwale of the skin boat and began to thrash away
frantically in the direction of the lugger.

Maudrayne took a few more steps in pursuit of the swimmer, shouting threats, while Rusgann splashed to retrieve the empty coracle,
which she deftly flipped onto the sand.

тАЬWell done,тАЭ Maudrayne said. тАЬOh, well done, my dearest friend!тАЭ She came ashore.

тАЬAre you hurt, my lady?тАЭ

тАЬScratches and bumps. The bastard didnтАЩt get my necklace, but he left a smart welt trying to steal it.тАЭ

Rusgann used her drenched apron as a wash-clout on both of them, removing the worst of the blood, until Maudrayne said, тАЬEnough. We
can finish cleaning ourselves on board the lugger. Poor Dyfrig must be terrified and we must go to him.тАЭ

They launched the small craft and climbed into it, after helping themselves to Lukort WaterfallтАЩs filleting knife and belt-wallet. A great
mob of ravens and gulls had suddenly appeared and were wheeling in a cloud above the body, ready to begin feeding. The noise they
made almost drowned out the sound of a distressed human voice.