"Andre Norton - WW - Horn Crown" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

This time Ouse did stand, shrugging the hood of his cloak
back so that his gray-haired head was fully bared and all
could see his thin, lined face.

"The land," he said quietly, "is empty. Since we have
come into it we have sensed nothing which we may term
enemy. This night before you came to council, my lords,
Laudet and I sang the warn words and lit the torches of
the Flame. It burned fair, there was no stir at our invoca-
tion. There are traces of old power -- of a kind we do not
know -- but the Flame can burn nowhere when there is
war rising and evil moving in."

I heard a grunt from Lord Rolfin. He was ever apt, as
all men knew, to go seeking menaces in each new place,
though he could have no answer to Ouse's reassurance. It
was true that the Undying and One Flame could not sur-
vive if evil ringed us round, and I am sure that I heard
several sighs of relief at that reply.

Now Wavent pushed forward with his right foot a basin
of bronze which Laudet had set out for him. The Captain
stooped and picked this up, holding it with both hands.

"Here, Lords of Hallack," his voice becoming more
formal, as if speaking ritual words, "are your choices by
lot. In the Light of the One Flame are all kin-chiefs
equal. Thus it was in the past, so shall it be here. Let
each of you now draw by chance, for at midmorning to-
morrow we shall reach the first of the open dales and one
of you may there withdraw from our journey to take up a
new home."

Holding the bowl just above the eye level of the circle
of lords, he then passed from right to left, pausing before
each man who reached up, scrabbling fingers among the
strips of hide he could not see and bringing out the lot
which fortune dealt him, though all knew that afterward
there could be changes made if both parties agreed.

Ouse let Wavent come well along before he followed
with a smaller bowl, this one being of silver somewhat
tarnished, which he offered to a handful of lords who had

refused the first choosing. This we knew represented the
chances of the seacoast. As he had told us he would,
Garn refrained from drawing from Wavent's bowl, a hap-
pening which appeared to make his near neighbors glance
at him in surprise. When Ouse reached him his hand went