"Andrew J. Offutt - Cormac 02 - The Tower of Death" - читать интересную книгу автора (Offutt Andrew J)

Captain Gervase licked his lips and shouted through cupped hands, тАЬQuarter!тАЭ
Wulfhere loosed a roar of laughter. тАЬO-ho-ho-ho-ho! Quarter yeтАЩre asking? Oh, little man, little man! You cheat
us of a good fight!тАЭ
тАЬNot such a good fight as that,тАЭ Gervase called wryly back, considering the aspect of his men. тАЬBut such as
we can put up, unless you promise us our lives, we will give you. And more than that!тАЭ he added in sudden
inspiration. тАЬWeтАЩve casks and casks of good wine below. Do you board us bent on slaughter, IтАЩll take two men
and smash them open myself!тАЭ
The Skull-splitter ceased to laugh. тАЬYe be a monster!тАЭ he bellowed. тАЬA black-hearted monster!тАЭ
Cormac mac Art laughed. It was untrue that he never did so, and he did like grit.
тАЬLet him have his way, Wulfhere,тАЭ he advised. тАЬIтАЩve a notion how this can be turned to our account. Let me be
having his ear.тАЭ
тАЬI had rather let you have his whole head,тАЭ Wulfhere grumbled.
тАЬAhoy, trader! Do but these things and we grant ye life. Be ye running your tub ashore, and that swiftly, then
set your crew to loading your cargo aboard us. Swiftly, ye hear? Swifter than the like was ever done
aforetime! And remember the price, do ye fail!тАЭ
Gervase looked once at the dark, scarred face, and turned to scan again his disheartened crew. None but a
madman on the breast of the sea would have opted for resistance.
тАЬDone!тАЭ he said.
And done it was. A spearтАЩs cast from the nearby white beach, Thetis let down both iron anchors and Raven
grappled to her. Cormac was first on her deck, with four men eager at his back, among them Knud the Swift
and one warrior with hair black as the GaelтАЩs own, a rare sight among northerners.
тАЬThe lighter stuff first, and most costly,тАЭ said Cormac. тАЬItтАЩs silk ye have aboard, and rare gems and spices.
There is ivory too, balsams and jewellery thatтАЩs after being looted from EgyptтАЩs king-graves. ItтАЩs unwise yeтАЩd
be for attempting to deny it. Show me.тАЭ
Betrayed! Gervase thought bitterly. But who could have done it in such detail? None surely, but the factor who
directed the lading. And Gervase promised himself that heтАЩd see the man torn by bearsтАФif he survived this
day.
For the pirateтАЩs list was true to the item. The bolts of cloth the sailors threw down to Wulfhere were not all of
silk; some were Egyptian cotton loomed so fine and shining that the difference was not evident at a glance,
and nigh as rare as silk, here in the west. They were stowed in the bow, with the boxes and packets that
came also from Alexandria, the incense and pepper and the all but priceless sugar.
And Wulfhere, thirsty Wulfhere, had scarcely a glance for any of it.
тАЬThe wine!тАЭ he demanded.
The wine was brought forth. Sailors levered oaken casks from their cradles in the hold, and trundled them to
the hatchway. Ropes were knotted about them with a fearful care to make them secure, and brawny men
drew them on deck, flashing uneasy sidewise stares the while. The casks were lowered over ThetisтАЩs side
and received with joy by the wild crew of Raven. Swiftly those men lashed their prizes firmly to bench-ends
with a proper eye to balance and distribution so that Raven should continue to ride the sea well.
All was accomplished with a will and speed that no stevedore on BurdigalaтАЩs docks had ever approached.
Since Raven was both a leaner vessel than Thetis, and shallower of draught, she could not take the entire
load. Still, by canny stowing the Danes made a fair shift towards it.
No more than an hour later, the Danish galley carried twenty-three casks of red Falernian; three were lashed
crosswise in a row in the stern with ten more on their sides along each row of oar benches, so positioned as
not to impede the oarsmenтАФand them sitting appreciably closer to the sea than they had been.
Cormac and his four sword-comrades added their weight to the load.
тАЬNow if yeтАЩll be casting off our grapnel-irons,тАЭ he said, тАЬitтАЩs farewell weтАЩll be bidding ye, with due thanks for
your hospitalityтАФand a caution not to raise your anchors whilst we be in sight.тАЭ
Gervase nodded glumly. The grapnels were prised loose to thud down aboard the galley. The Danes raised an
ironical cheer as they pushed off from ThetisтАЩs plump side. GervaseтАЩs square wind-burned face darkened;
anger got the best of caution.