"Andrew J. Offutt - Cormac 06 - The Undying Wizard" - читать интересную книгу автора (Offutt Andrew J)

тАЬI think not. Cynwas?тАЭ
тАЬI think not,тАЭ the steersman said, just as quietly. тАЬTheyтАЩd be fighting else, Bedwyr, not suffering that...
harassment.тАЭ
тАЬLeaguered about by wolves,тАЭ Bedwyr the blond ax-man said, and there was amusement in his voice. тАЬTheyтАЩll
not see this sun set, though itтАЩs soon crimson theyтАЩll see!тАЭ
тАЬWolves?тАЭ This from another oar-plier, a man with a break in his beard from an old slash of sword or knife;
surely no ax could have sliced him so without wrecking his jaw.
Bedwyr said, тАЬAye.тАЭ
тАЬPicts,тАЭ Cynwas said from the stern.
тАЬThis far south? What be Picts doing this far south of their damned heather?тАЭ
тАЬOr this far east,тАЭ Bedwyr said. тАЬMayhap they be Picts from far side Hibernia.тАЭ
Silent had been the third man who was not rowing, and him nigh-naked. Now he spoke.
тАЬEirrin, ye corn-headed ass. Eirrin! Ye talk like a Roman... miss ye your masters so much, ye Briton
molester of ewes?тАЭ
The blond at the prow turned to stare at the speaker. He was a great burly giant of a man with a red mane
and full bushy beard.
тАЬYe talk foolishly free for a man bound to a shipтАЩs mast, Dane! Be ye so anxious to be oped up for the sun to
bake your drunkardтАЩs gizzard?тАЭ
The bound man grinned. He wore only a dirty tunic that had been red before its dyes succumbed to wear and
sun and salt water and sweat. Now, but for the soil, it was lighter in colour than his full beard.
тАЬIt were better than having to list to your stupidity, Briton.тАЭ
Bedwyr of Britain cheated his captive, who was bound so that he must remain standing and stare straight
ahead, like a strange bow ornament moved back amidships. The blond Briton only grinned, and turned away.
тАЬRow. An they see us, they all be far too busyтАФand about to be busier stillтАФto trouble us. Nor need we have
worry of them.тАЭ
The oarsmen rowed. The ship of BritonsтАФand captive DaneтАФswept on to the south and east, well east of the
Eirrinish craft тАЬleaguered about by wolves.тАЭ
Aboard that beleaguered ship from the land of Eirrin, caught by the same calm and now by the swift boats of
its harriers, a man watched the vessel from Britain. A tall, rangily built man he was, deep-chested and
manifestly strong, his eyes deeply planted and slitted, grey as steel or ice. The distance was too great for
faces to be seen; had there been aught of the crew of the other craft he knew, heтАЩd not have recognized him.
The hair of the ax-man at the prow seemed sunwhite from this vantage.
тАЬThey go on.тАЭ
The words came from the warrior beside the tall and rangy man; this one was both short and slight, and
wearing a bronze-studded leathern cap that covered brow and cheeks, ears and nape.
тАЬAye. Ours be no business of theirs. ItтАЩs a broad sea, and it bears up many peoples. Those be neither Gaul
nor Pict, and if itтАЩs Celts they areтАФnot likelyтАФitтАЩs not from Eirrin but Britain they sail.тАЭ
тАЬBritain!тАЭ called up one of the men at the oars. тАЬThe Britons be no seafarers!тАЭ
тАЬSome fare asea.тАЭ
The small beardless warrior spoke nervously: тАЬCould... might their destination be the same as ours?тАЭ
тАЬNo no, dairlinтАЩ girl,тАЭ the tall man said. He too was beardless, his narrow-slitted eyes giving him a peculiarly
sinister aspect. Though he was of Eirrin, his squarecut hair was black as the shaggy mops of the men in their
hideboats round about them. He wore neither beard nor jewellery.
He went on, тАЬHow could they be knowing of it? Samaire-heim be not known in their landтАФnor any other, save
wherever it is Wulfhere may be. Nay, they be reavers as I was, though Crom and Manannan only know what
they do so far southтАФHA!тАЭ
His shout was elicited by the arcing up of an arrow from one of the little hideboats that sought to encircle his
vessel of fourteen oars; the flint tipped shaft fell short.
тАЬHA!тАЭ the tall man barked out again. тАЬTry on, PictsтАФonce one of ye comes close enough to bounce one of
your puny sticks off this ship, IтАЩll huff and puff until I blow over your snailshell!тАЭ