"II - Chainer's Torment" - читать интересную книгу автора (McGough Scott)

tavern. Skellum said he would meet Chainer outside, and
that Chainer was to distract the Order's bully boys until
he arrived.
The sun had recently set, and the night was dark, cold,
and clear. Oil-burning street lamps flickered. His enemies
were waiting for him in the street.
The two Order soldiers stood rigid and humorless,
watching Roup's doorway. The small bird-thing squatted
beside the aven officer, and it croaked unpleasantly as
Chainer came out. There was no sign of the mantis or its
beast. There was likewise no sign of Skellum.
"That's far enough," the officer called. "This is fair
warning, boy.
If you run again, we will be forced to injure you. If
you retreat back into that den of filth, we will burn it
down."
Chainer glared at him, but did not speak. "Distract
them," Skellum had said, but the mere sight of these fake
do-gooders in their gleaming white robes galled Chainer
like an abscess. He had fought many Order soldiers, both on
the streets and in the Cabal's fighting pits, and he was
always eager to take on another. He wondered if Skellum
would consider crippling stab wounds enough of a
distraction.
"I am Major Teroh," the aven said. "In the name of the
Order, I hereby claim you and that satchel at your waist.
If you come with us now, you will not be harmed. You'll
spend a night as a guest on a warm, safe bedroll. You might
even get a hot meal out of it.
"We don't want to hurt you. Quite the opposite, in
fact. But whatever it is you're carrying," he paused,
searching for the right words, "belongs with us. It's
simply too dangerous for the likes of you."
Chainer made no effort to hide his disgust. "You don't
even know what you're talking about, do you?"
"Not as such," Teroh bristled at Chainer's scorn. "But
if I saw a book of spells written in a foreign language, I
still wouldn't let a child read from it."
"Go find a child with a book, then," Chainer said. "I'm
on Cabal business. I don't need an Order librarian wasting
my time."
Major Teroh scowled. "I won't ask you again."
"Suits me. Then I won't have to ignore you again."
"Trooper Baankis," the major said loudly, and the foot
soldier snapped to an even more rigid state of attention.
"Yes, Major!"
"Relieve this willful young man of his burden. If he
resists . . . subdue him. No permanent damage."
"Yes, sir!" Baankis started forward, and Chainer drew
his knuckle dagger. He held it expertly out in front of him