"Elizabeth Moon - Paksenarrion 2 - Divided Allegiance" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moon Elizabeth)

Chapter One
When all Siniava's troops had been marched away under guard, most of the Phelani assumed they'd be
going back to ValdaireтАФeven, perhaps, to the north again. Some were already making plans for
spending their share of the loot. Others looked forward to time to rest and recover from wounds.
They were more than a little surprised, then, to be marched south, along the Immer, in company
with Alured's men, the Halverics, and several cohorts of the Duke of Fall's army. These last
looked fresh as new paint, hardly having fought at all, except to turn Siniava away from Fallo.
"I don't understand it," muttered Ken to Paks as they marched. "I thought we were
throughтАФSiniava's dead. What more?"
Paks shook her head. "Maybe the Duke has a contract."
"Contract! Tir's bones, it'll take us the rest of the season just to get back to Valdaire. Why do
we need a contract?"
"Have you ever seen the sea?" asked Seli.


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"NoтАФwhy?"
"Well, that's reason enough to go south. I've seen itтАФ you'll be impressed."
"What is it like?" asked Paks.
Elizabeth Moon
"I don't think anyone can tell you. You have to see it. I've heard the cliffs are tower here, at
the Immer's mouth, than at Confaer, where I was. But even soтАФ"
As they marched south beyond the forest, the river beside them widened. They passed through a few
small towns and villages. Alured stationed some of his troops in each of these. Word trickled down
from the captains that Alured was claiming the title of Duke of Immer. This meant nothing to Paks
or the younger soldiers, but Stammel knew that the title had been extinct for several hundred
years, since the fell of the old kingdom of Aare across the sea.
"I'm surprised that the Duke of Fall and the other nobles are accepting it," he said one night.
"That was the price of his help this year," said Vossik. All the sergeants were gathered around
one fire for an hour or so. "I heard talk in Fallo's cohorts about it. If the Fallo, Andressat,
and Cilwan would uphold his claimтАФand our Duke, of courseтАФthen he'd turn on Siniava."
"But why would they, even so?"
"It's an odd story," said Vossik, obviously ready to tell it.
"Go on, Voss, don't make us beg," growled StammeL
"Well, it's only what I heard, after all: I don't know whether those Fallo troops know the truth,
or if they're telling it, but here it is. It seems that Alured used to be a pirate on the
ImmerhoftтАФ"
"We knew thatтАФ"
"Yes, but that's the beginning. He'd captured another ship, and was about to throw the prisoners
over, the way pirates doтАФ"
"Into the water?" asked Paks.
Someone laughed. Vossik turned to her. "Pirates don't want a mess on their shipsтАФso they usually
do throw prisoners overboardтАФ"
"But don't they swim or wade to shore?" asked ^Natzlin.
"They can't. It's too for, and the water is deep."
"I can swim a long wayтАФ" said Barra.
"Not that far. Tir's gut, Barra, you haven't seen the sea yet. It could be a day's march from
shore, the ship, when they toss someone out." Vossik took a long swallow of sib