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

and where they tried to grab me."
"How many are there?" "Two. Plus-"
Roup sipped thoughtfully. "Only two? 1 would have
thought a clever and-" he gestured with his goblet at
Chainer's belt- "well armed little brother like yourself
could handle a meager pair of toy soldiers." He slid the
decanter of green liquid toward Chainer. "Drink?" Chainer
ignored the decanter and stared fixedly at Roup. "No thank
you, big brother. And the toy soldiers are also armed.
Heavily. They have one of those bug-boys with them as well,
and I think something big from Krosan. They met me coming
into the city and tried to arrest me. They chased me here,
and they're waiting for me now, out there. I need an escort
to reach the First."
Roup chuckled. "An escort, little brother? We're very
important all of a sudden, aren't we? Why don't I get on
the grapevine and order the First himself to come here and
save you the trip?" He snorted an ugly little laugh at his
own cleverness.
"All I want," Chainer said evenly, "is to deliver this
package to the First. To do that, I need to get in touch
with my mentor. His name is Skellum." Chainer watched Roup
digest this new bit of information. Master Skellum's name
carried some weight, even here. "Well, little brother,"
Roup said finally, "if this package for the First is so
important, why don't you just leave it with me? I can have
an armed escort here by sunrise, and then I'll take it to
him myself when I deliver my tally tomorrow. In the
meantime, you can hide in my cellar and stay out of my
way."
"It cannot wait for tomorrow," Chainer said stiffly.
"And I will not surrender it to anyone but the First."
Roup raised an eyebrow, obviously slighted. "Present
the package, little brother. I will decide who gives it to
the First."
Reluctantly, Chainer took the satchel off his belt.
Slowly, mechanically, he extended it out to arm's length
and placed it in the center of the table. He kept his eyes
fixed and his arm extended as Roup leaned forward.
When Roup's hand touched the drawstring, Chainer
struck. He whipped his dagger out of its shoulder sheath
and slammed the point deep into the table, through the
sleeve of Roup's garish robe. Without pausing, he looped
his chain under Roup's chin and sprang up, flipping his
body over Roup's head and rolling down the tavern keeper's
back like a hedgehog down a hill. Chainer's full weight
pulled the chain close around Roup's throat, and as the
young man came to his feet, he twisted the chain even
tighter. With the same whispered spell he had used in the
ruined mansion, he linked the chain to itself, creating a