"Melanie Rawn - Dragon Star 3 - Skybowl" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rawn Melanie)

bargain."
Saumer handed the goblet to Havadi. "HereтАФwarm your bones with this. As it happens, Lady
Karanaya," he went on,
"my horses are being well seen to. We left people to guard them, and as soon as this rain lets up
a little they'll be herded to a safe place."
"After which we'll herd the Vellant'im to an wnsafe place," she finished with determination. "If
you'll come with us, your grace. We've already had your people seen to, and now the most important
thing is to get you dry and warm."
Saumer mounted the steps to get out of the water, wishing he could upend both boots; he was fairly
sloshing his way up that daunting staircase. "Wet and warm would be better," he smiled at her. "I
stink of your moat and need a bath. By the way, Lord Mirsath, when I was going through the tunnel,
IтАФ"
A rumbling from the black mouth of that very tunnel presaged a crash that shook the foundation
stones. Havadi dropped the priceless goblet and raced up the steps, arms spread wide to shove the
other three ahead of him. Karanaya stumbled against Saumer; he held her upright and dragged her
with him as they fled the gush of rainwater and moat mud and shattered rock.
Saumer went to his knees on a riser, cursing, and looked over his shoulder. Debris-laden water
surged eight steps below him, seven, sixтАФthen seemed to pause and consider, lapping flirtatiously
at the next step. He caught his breath and sat down to watch, earning amazed looks from his
companions.
"What are youтАФ"
"My lord, we really mustтАФ"
"Prince Saumer, there's still danger fromтАФ"
"Just wait," he said, and closed his eyes.


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Ah. There it was. He fixed it in his mind and scooted down the steps, heedless of his bootsтАФfull
to the knees anywayтАФand the leaden drag of his cloak. Standing on the bottom step, chest-deep in
smelly muck, he plunged a gloved hand into the gently rocking waves.
A few moments later he climbed back up to the others and opened his fist. In the stained and
sopping leather rested a tear-shaped lump of filth. Saumer scraped the mud from it as best he
could so they could see it. But he knew that Havadi, Mirsath, and Karanaya (who gasped in
delighted recognition) saw only a black pearl, not its magical sheen of rainbows.
"What I don't understand," said Mirsath to Johlarian a little while later, "is why you didn't see
it before."
The Sunrunner gave a shrug. "Perhaps it's in the way of childrenтАФwhich Prince Saumer is when it
comes to faradhi things. They see what's there, not what education and experience tell them to
see. And I was concentrating on the fingerflame, my lord, while I was down there. That might have
something to do with it."
Mirsath peered into the gaping hole in his hall floor, wrinkled his nose, and strode over to push
the Dragon's Eye that closed it. "Well, that's lost to use, anyway. Ours or theirs." He watched
the stone slide shut. "You know, it bothers me a little that Saumer was so smug. Totally
unsurprised that the Tear should snuggle right into his hand."
"Again, my lord, like a child. Why shouldn't it happen that way? Reason and logic tell us it's
absurd. Impossible. But it's the privilege of the young to believe that even if they leap into a
midden, they'll come out holding a rose. Or a pearl." He smiled. "Perhaps the hand of the Goddess
was in it."