"Douglas Niles - Forgotten Realms - Moonshae 02 - Black Wizard" - читать интересную книгу автора (Niles Douglas)

of. "The assassins of the Pasha's school always wear
DOUGLAS NILES
the finest weave of Amnish silkтАФthis silk." He held up a piece of cloth torn
from one of the slain attackers.
"And these little crossbows are a favored weapon of the Pasha's elite. Smeared
with poison, they are absolutely deadly within fifty feet." Daryth paused.
"I'm sorry. It's a miracle that they didn't get you as well."
"Then there was Razfallow." The Calishite paused for a moment. "I studied
under him when I was at the Academy. That was when I was youngтАФbut strong and
quick. The skills taught at the Academy, I thought, would see me to a life of
luxury and ease. But those skillsтАФstealthy murder, theft, betrayalтАФthey come
with their own cost.
"And Razfallow made those costs clear to me. He is one of the deadliest
assassins in the Realms. Eventually, I made him angry. The most convenient
solution was for me to leave Calimshan, and so I did."
"Obviously, he remembers," remarked the prince.
"I gave him good cause to," muttered Daryth, but despite Tristan's curious
look he would not elaborate.
"What is he?"
"A half-ore. His mother was a full blooded oreтАФit's a sore spot with him."
"As if a person might not notice," muttered the prince.
"Finally, we found two guards atop the palisade slain from a single stab
woundтАФhere." Daryth bent his head forward, gesturing with a finger at the base
of his neck. "I know of no other assassins in the world who use such a tactic
for surreptitious slaying."
"The Pasha of Calimshan sent assassins to Corwell?" asked the prince. Perhaps
he could find a focus for his anger.
"Probably not. Although they were trained in Calimshan, they were paid with
these." Daryth held out a pair of gold coins, stamped with the outline of a
crenelated castle on one side. The prince reached for the coins and flipped
them over. On the back was a familiar silhouette.
"Caer Callidyrr? They were paid with the coin of the High King?"
"So it would seem," Daryth nodded soberly. "It was careless of one of them to
carry his coin with himтАФperhaps he did not trust his fellows. Now he has no
use for the coin, and
92(5*
BLACK WIZARDS
its presence on his body tells us much.
"What is the relationship of the High King to the rulers of the Ffolk, such as
your father?"
"The title High King is more an honorific than anything else. Not since
Cymrych Hugh has there truly been a king that united the Ffolk under one
leader. Now, he wears the Crown of the Isles to signify his authorityтАФthat was
the gold crown forged for Cymrych Hugh himselfтАФbut has little real authority,
except over the Kingdom of Callidyrr. In Moray, SnowdownтАФand here in
CorwellтАФwe pay little attention."
"But what does that honorific mean?"
"In name, he is the lord of the kings of Corwell, Moray, and Snowdown. The
High King is in fact the King of CallidyrrтАФthe largest kingdom of the Ffolk.
Though the other kings, including my father, owe fealty to him, there is no