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

"You are a most passionate man, Baron . . ." Jerek
Nankenseen said dryly.

Meliadus sheathed his sword suddenly and reached
out to grasp his banner, wrenching it from the earth.
"They have insulted our King-Emperor, our landЧ
and myself. I will have the girl for my pleasure, but in
no soft spirit will I take her, no weak emotion will
motivate me..."

"Of course not," murmured Jerek Nankenseen, a
hint of patronage in his voice.

". . . And as for the others, I will have my pleasure
with them, alsoЧin the prison vaults of Londra. Do-
rian Hawkmoon, Count Brass, the philosopher Bow-
gentle, the unhuman one, Oladahn of the Bulgar Moun-
tains, and the traitor Huillam D'AvercЧall these shall
suffer for many years. That I have sworn by the Rune-
staff!"

There was a sound behind them. They turned to
peer through the flickering light and saw a canopied lit-
ter being borne up the hill by a dozen Athenan prison-
ers of war who were chained to its poles. In the litter
lounged the unconventional Shenegar Trott, Count of
Sussex. Count Shenegar almost disdained the wearing
of a mask at all, and as it was he wore a silver one
scarcely larger than his head, fashioned to resemble, in
caricature, his own visage. He belonged to no Order
and was tolerated by the King-Emperor and his Court
because of his immense richness and almost superhu-

man courage in battleЧyet he gave the appearance, in
his jeweled robes and lazy manner, of a besotted fool.
He, even more than Meliadus, had the confidence (such
as it was) of the King-Emperor Huon, for his advice
was almost always excellent. He had plainly heard the
last part of the exchange and spoke banteringly.

"A dangerous oath to swear, my lord Baron," said he
softly. "One that could, by all counts, have repercus-
sions on he who swears it..."

"I swore the oath with that knowledge," replied Me-
liadus. "I shall find them, Count Shenegar, never fear."

"I came to remind you, my lords," said Shenegar
Trott, "that our King-Emperor grows impatient to see
us and hear our report that all Europe is now his