"Juliet E. McKenna - Einarinn 1 - The Thief's Gamble" - читать интересную книгу автора (McKenna Juliet E)

So there I was, sitting and fretting and sipping rather good wine, when a
very wet horseman strode into the bar and beckoned to mine host. I could
not hear what they were saying, and that immediately piqued my curiosity,
but I could not move closer without drawing attention to myself. The
horseman passed over a small parchment and I heard the chink of coins. As
he left, the innkeeper unfolded the letter or whatever it was and the
merchants crowded round.
'So what does it say?' a thin man in a stained yellow tunic asked.
'Dunno. Can't read.' The innkeeper shrugged his fat shoulders. 'I'll need to
know more before I tack it up though, money or no.'
I bit my lip with frustration. I can read, thanks to a mother determined I
should have every possible advantage to offset my birth, but there was no
way I was going to make myself conspicuous by offering help.
'Here.' The thin man's companion reached for the parchment and frowned
at it. 'Where's the Running Hound?'
'It's the big coaching inn on the market in Ambafost,' the third merchant
piped up, peering over the reader's leather-clad shoulder.
'Well, there's a trader staying there who's interested in buying Tormalin
antiquities.' The bearded man smoothed out the notice and read it through,
lips moving as he did so. 'This says he'll pay good prices and that he'll be
buying on market day.'
'He must be doing well, to be paying to advertise like this.' The third
merchant gnawed at a nail thoughtfully. 'Is there much doing in antiquities
at the moment?'
The bearded man shrugged. 'Maybe he's got plans for the Autumn Fair.
There are collectors in Col and there'll be traders from Relshaz and the
Archipelago as well.'
The thin man stared at the parchment with greedy eyes. 'Perhaps we
should try and get hold of a few good pieces if the prices are going to be
favourable.'
They huddled together and the bearded man got out a map as they
discussed the possibilities.
I drank the rest of my wine and pondered my next moves. I happened to
know where you could find some very fine pieces of Tormalin Empire
work, and if I could get anywhere near a realistic price for one, even
allowing for a merchant's cut, I could wait for Halice until the very last
hour, then hire a private coach to get me to Col and still have money over to
stake me for a very high playing game. The trick would be getting the piece
to the merchant without the original owner being aware of it and there it
seemed that the gods were smiling on me for a change. I should have known
better, but at the time all I could think of was the profit I could make. There
was also the little matter of a very sweet revenge which would be a
substantial bonus. Was it worth the gamble?
The merchants were absorbed in their discussion, and I went upstairs
without anyone remarking on it. I unshuttered the window and peered out.
Rain was still falling but the wind was slackening off and the waxing lesser
moon was fleetingly visible through gaps in the cloud.
Should I do this? It would be risky but, then again, it could be very
profitable. Well, I'm a gambler and no one ever struck it rich keeping their
runes in their pocket, did they? The temptation was just too strong. I