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

and a crimson beard to cover half of it. Hausakliufr is he nicknamed in his own languageтАФthe Skull-splitter,
and not for complimentтАЩs sake. Battle is the greatest joy of this colossusтАЩs lifeтАФthe plunderтАЩs but an excuse.
His fellow Danes are hardly a weak-kneed lot, but they outlawed him because he was too dangerous to have
around. Somewhat more to the point, thereтАЩs no bolder or more expert sailor on the northern seas.тАЭ
тАЬYou sound, sir, as though you had encountered the man.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩve seen him,тАЭ Athanagild owned, and the words came betwixt clenched teeth. тАЬAye, and heard him laugh at
me through a gale. None would make a better display on a gibbet.тАЭ
тАЬAnd the other?тАЭ
тАЬCormac? That oneтАЩs an exile from Hibernia, one of the few reivers wild enough to sail with Wulfhere. HeтАЩs
dark as the Skull-splitter is red, a master of the sword, and subtle-brained. Wulfhere loves him for his
battle-prowess and relies on him for his crafty advice. No snakes in Hibernia, eh? This Cormac mauled our
coasts with a Celtic crew of his own, some years agone. One ship these two have, and sixty followers, and
with that theyтАЩve raked Britain and Gaul and Spain as if there were naught to oppose them but wax men with
paper weapons.тАЭ
тАЬI want them!тАЭ Guntram said harshly, and was momentarily nonplussed with no table to bang. тАЬWith all their
fame, theyтАЩve but one ship and none to avenge them. WhatтАЩs more, it was these very two lifted the kingтАЩs
pretties from the pack train.тАЭ
The disparaging scorn in his last phrase rang clear. Too canny to say it out in such words, or indeed in any
words, Guntram despised his king. Alaric the Second, King of all the Visigoths, the old soldier considered a
disgrace to his fatherтАЩs name. Despite his rage at the piratical activity along his shoresтАФand inlandтАФthe
young king preferred to buy erotically skilled women from Egypt and the Levant to beguile his nights, rather
than warships to patrol his coast. Guntram almost snorted, thinking of it; indeed, his nostrils flared.
Honest Gothic lasses with broad hips for bearing, and no knowledge of degenerate tricks; these had been
good enow for AlaricтАЩs father EuricтАФand aurochs horns to drink from. No question, the race was declining.
The younger generation would never carry it to centuryтАЩs end, but fourteen years off.
Well... business.
тАЬI want them!тАЭ he repeated, and glared at the merchants. тАЬAnd you objects are going to help me take them.
Do not think elsewise!тАЭ
тАЬImpossible, my lord!тАЭ Desiderius Crispus cried. тАЬI do not deal with these men, nor does the Syrian. I keep
myself informed. Did they barter their loot in Burdigala at all, I would know of it.тАЭ
тАЬTrue, itтАЩs true, my good lord!тАЭ The confirmation burst eagerly from Philip. тАЬTheir buyer is in Nantes, in the
Roman kingdom.тАЭ
тАЬNantes,тАЭ the count growled. тАЬAnd the name of their buyer?тАЭ
тАЬI do not know, my lord. By Saint Martin, itтАЩs the truth!тАЭ
Though Guntram eyed them narrowly, he did not hector them the further. HeтАЩd sharper pins than that to jab
these two with.
He said sharply, тАЬYour oath in a saintтАЩs name settles it. It must be true. The part about Nantes is right, in any
event, and itтАЩs fortunate for you that I happen to know. IтАЩve had a spy there of late; the same that uncovered
your own shifty dealings, so yтАЩsee he knows his word. He traced the man through a customs official he found
to be corrupt. The Dane and his partner deal with one Balsus Ammian. Know you aught of him?тАЭ
тАЬMy lord Count, I do.тАЭ Desiderius said, and Guntram saw his surprise was real enow. тАЬBut it would seem...
not so much as I did think.тАЭ He watched the count make an impatient gesture; Guntram had not fetched in
Desiderius to flatter his choice of spies. тАЬAye. Balsus Ammian dwells by the waterfront and makes great
affectation of being one step from poverty, but in truth heтАЩs no less rich thanтАФтАЭ
The merchant stopped suddenly.
тАЬThan you are?тАЭ Guntram suggested. тАЬAye, that tallies with my manтАЩs description. We talked until late last
night.тАЭ
The merchantsтАЩ mutual thought was easy to guess: I must learn who this spy of GuntramтАЩs is. Which, of
course, was why he was not present at this meeting they now knew Guntram had planned, and planned well.
тАЬAn I find ferrets of yours within sniffing distance of his name,тАЭ the count said genially, тАЬIтАЩll see your bones