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

тАЬSalka minds work more slowly than ours and are deficient in imagination. ItтАЩs more likely that the monsters will pretend to accede to the
proposal while planning to break faith with you later. We can deal with that easily enough. DonтАЩt take it amiss, but itтАЩs a good thing that
the Salka think you a pathetic failure, cursed by the Lights, with only a few puny magical powers left. The arrogant boobies are bound to
underestimate you and let their guard down.тАЭ

You state the facts with tactless candor, for one who was once first counselor to a king and now lives in disgrace, under a deferred
sentence of death, stripped of all magical talent by the iron hanging around your neck.

тАЬDonтАЩt be so touchy. Neither of us can afford wounded pride. Together we may possibly rule the world. Apart weтАЩre doomed.тАЭ

No more word games, Kilian. ItтАЩs time for me to go.

тАЬBefore you do, we must discuss your sister. My agents in Gala Palace will do their utmost to disguise their real objective. But if Conrig
suspects that either of us might have caused the trove to be stolen, he might pressure Conjure-Queen Ullanoth to put us under close
observation. Even worse, he could ask her to trace my agents. No ordinary talent is able to scry the moonstones, but her Subtle Loophole
sigil can.тАЭ

Conrig would never let the Conjure-Queen know about DarasiloтАЩs Trove. HeтАЩd be afraid sheтАЩd covet it for herself.

тАЬI suppose youтАЩre right. But the king might use some pretextтАФтАЭ

Ulla hasnтАЩt spied on me with Loophole since the incident last year that nearly cost her life. IтАЩve been assured of this by Master Kalawnn
himself. That particular sigil is the most powerful one she possesses, and the price of its conjuring is tremendous. Unless Conrig tells her
that we might have stolen a secret hoard of inactive moonstones, sheтАЩll refuse to endanger her health and sanity by using Loophole to
watch us or my men.

тАЬSheтАЩs bound to find out about the trove sooner or later.тАЭ

ThatтАЩs why I intend to have the Salka attack her. IтАЩve worked out a planтАФ

тАЬI agree we should make her demise one of our earliest prioritiesтАж but only after the death of Honigalus! You must convince the
monsters to kill him and his heirs first, Beynor. The circumstances are ideal and such an opportunity may never come again. The
destabilization of the Sovereignty is absolutely crucial to our success. But that wonтАЩt happen unless Conrig loses his hold on Didion. Do
you understand?тАЭ

Yes. Honigalus first, but then Ulla dies.

A sigh.

Return to your peaceful slumber, KilianтАФas I do my best to tiptoe scatheless through the nightmare I inhabit here. Should I manage to
gull the Salka, IтАЩll pop back into your dreams to inform you how the matter went. If I fail, remember me as you study DarasihтАЩs worthless
collection of baublesтАФand think of what might have been.

==========

The brightness and warmth of the endless midsummer daylight hardly penetrated the dank chambers of the great Salka citadel that
crouched on the highest point of the Dawntide Isles. After four years of exile in the awful place, Beynor always felt pierced to the bone
by cold, no matter how many furs he piled on. He was one-and-twenty years old now, and had enjoyed excellent health when he first
came; but he knew he could not survive here much longer. The citadel was an abode fit only for nonhuman grotesques. It drained his
bodily strength and weakened his innate talent more and more with each passing day. If he must risk everything now in a bid to restore