"Michael Moorcock - The Runestaff 3 - The Sword of The Dawn" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moorcock Michael)

"I like this not at all," Hawkmoon said darkly.
"Even if he tells the truth, the Lords of Granbretan
will wonder where he found his power by now, will
learn all his movements, will almost certainly discover
the old manЧand then they will have the means to
come through in strength and we shall be doomed!"

"Indeed, these are difficult times," Tozer said, filling
his goblet yet again. "Remember your King Staleen,
Act IV, Scene IIЧ'Wild days, wild riders, and the
stink of warfare across the world!' Aha, I was a vi-
sionary and knew it not!" He was now evidently drunk.

Hawkmoon stared hard at the weak-chinned drunk-
ard, still finding it almost impossible to believe that
this was the great playwright Tozer.

"You wonder at my poverty, I see," Tozer said,
speaking with slurred tongue. "The result of a couple
of lines in Chirshil and Adulf, as I told you. Oh, the
wickedness of fate! A couple of lines, penned in good
faith, and here I am today, with the threat of a noose
about my gullet. You remember the scene of course,
and the speech? 'Court and king, alike corrupt . . . ?'
Act I, Scene I? Pity me, sir, and do not hang me. A
great artist destroyed by his own mighty genius."

"This old man," Bowgentle said. "What was he like?
Where exactly did he live?"

"The old man . . ." Tozer. forced more wine down
his throat. "The old man reminded me somewhat of
Ioni in my Comedy of Steel. Act II, Scene VI . . ."

"What was he like?" Hawkmoon asked impatiently.

" 'Machine-devoured, all his hours were given o'er
to that insidious circuitry, and old grew he, unnoticing,
in the service of his engines.' He lived only for his
science, you see. He made the rings . . ." Tozer put his
hand to his mouth.

"Rings? What rings?" D'Averc said swiftly.

"I feel that you must excuse me," Tozer said, rising
in a parody of dignity, "for the wine has proved too
rich for my empty stomach. Your pity, if you
please..."