"02 - Torment" - читать интересную книгу автора (McGough Scott)

toward the sparse, dying forest beyond. He ignored the

sullen glares from the squatters themselves. If his

membership in the Cabal didn't protect him from starving

civilians, his own skills could. He was more alert for any

of the dangerous wild beasts that lurked on the edges of

this and every other settlement. Large predators were rare

this close to the well-lit city gates and its armed guards,

but the first thing the Cabal taught its members was to be

careful with the Cabal's equipment, which included their

own bodies.

He altered his course and scanned the path through the

marshy flats. Chainer moved along by choosing which parts

of the muddy path to avoid rather than which ones he wanted

to take. He grew lost in the rhythm and the repetition of

trekking through the flats, unaware and unconcerned about

how far he had traveled. He hiked until his shadow grew

long before him, until a soft, insistent whisper broke

through his reverie.

It wasn't a voice, but it called directly to him. It

wasn't a song, but the melody gave him chills. It wasn't an

alarm, but it commanded his attention with an urgency that

was soft but undeniable. He cupped a hand around his ear to

help pinpoint the sound. The remains of a residential

district sat to the southeast, and the sound was coming

from there.