"John Morressy - The Protectors of Zendor" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morressy John)

"You gave me a start. I thought we were being attacked."

"Perhaps we will be. That poor woman looks as though she's fleeing for her life."
Indeed, the woman came toward them like one at the end of her strength, stumbling and nearly falling as
she drew near. Kedrigern dismounted and called to her. "Are you in trouble? Can we help?"

She did not respond until she had stopped at Kedrigern's side, breathless with exhaustion. She appeared
to be ready to collapse at his feet. He saw the trace of blood on her cheekbone and the bruise on her
forearm, but before he could speak, she shrank away and said, "Don't stop for me, sir. They'll kill us if
they catch us. Kill you, too, if you help."

"Nobody's going to kill anyone. Tell me who's threatening you."

"All of them. It's always the same. They hear him," she said, glancing down at the sleeping infant in her
arms, "and they want to hurt us."

"What's wrong with him?" Kedrigern asked. The baby was no more than six months old. He was pink
and sleepy, and looked to be utterly harmless.

"A spell. A terrible spell. When he cries.... "She hesitated and then burst into sobs.

As Kedrigern looked on, uncertain what to do next--magic does not teach one to deal with the problems
of babies--Princess said, "There's a cloud of dust on the road ahead. Someone's coming."

Kedrigern drew out his medallion and peered through the Aperture of True Vision. The dust cloud
resolved into a crowd heading directly toward them. No, he corrected himself, not a crowd but a mob,
armed and looking determined.

"Are those people after you?" he asked the woman.

"Yes. Let me go. I can still get away. Save yourselves."

A fine welcome this is, thought the wizard with rising anger. Invited here with a false message and greeted
with a bloodthirsty mob to threaten me if I help a poor frightened woman and her baby. Someone is
going to be very sorry for this.

"Get on my horse," he said. "Don't say a word or make a sound."

"Oh, sir, you must not--"

"Do as I say. I'll attend to this mob."

She turned a fearful gaze on Princess, who gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll all be quite safe," she said.
"You can trust my husband. He's a wizard. We're both wizards."

The woman's eyes went wide, but she mounted without a word. No sooner was she seated than
Kedrigern covered his eyes and spoke a short phrase, and she disappeared. He walked on at the horse's
side, holding the reins. In a short time the mob was clustering around the travelers.

"Have you seen the witch and her brat?" one of their leaders asked.