"John Maddox Roberts - Stormlands 02- The Black Shield" - читать интересную книгу автора (Roberts John Maddox)

your slaves now. What was the name of this place?"
"Floria," she said. "It is something to do with their flower goddess."
He smiled contemptuously. "Gods and goddesses! Only a race of slaves could
believe in such things. Being conquered and enslaved by us is an improvement in
their lot." The Shasinn
had no gods, only spirits that might be helpful or harmful. Gasam did not even believe in these.

"We will give this place a name fit for the capital of a warrior king. We will start our palace there." She
pointed toward a sprawling complex of structures capping a hill near the plaza. "That was the house of
the local governor. I am told he fled as soon as your ships came into sight."

"Excellent," Gasam said. "Choose some personal slaves from these"тАФhe gestured to the cowering flock
of people who stood to one side of the plaza. "I am going to examine the captured soldiers and see if any
are worthy to enroll in my army."

"Don't be too strict in your judging," she cautioned. "In the Islands there were thousands of splendid
warriors ready to serve you, once they had been subdued. Here it is different. The kings have great mobs
of soldiers who fight more from fear of their leaders than from love of fighting or loyalty to a chief. If you
would conquer the mainland, you must use these war slaves."

He put his hand to the back of her neck, twining his fingers in her hair, which was so pale that it shone
nearly white in the bright sunlight. "I know that, little queen. They are all tools to serve me, and I will
reject nothing that is useful."

He turned to his next task and she began to examine the new slaves, satisfied that he would heed her
words. He was shrewd and calculating, but sometimes his natural savagery overcame him and led him to
acts of wasteful brutality.

The prisoners had been stripped to reveal any deformity or physical flaw. She studied their attitudes with
interest. Some trembled and wept, some were stunned beyond any ability to react. Others were calm or
resigned. These, she knew, had been slaves when the city was taken. They faced only a change of
masters. She had no sympathy for them. Shasinn were never taken alive by slavers. If these had wished
to avoid this fate, they could have chosen death easily enough. If they allowed themselves to be enslaved,
then they were born to be slaves.

"Listen to me," she said. The sobbing became stifled as they waited to hear their fate. She knew that
these mainlanders could understand her Island dialect. "You are now the slaves of King Gasam of the
Islands. Your status may change later, according to how you behave. For now, resign yourselves to
slavery. You live only at the king's pleasure. Those who obey will be well treated. Those who disobey
will be beaten. Those who rebel will be killed. I am Larissa, the queen. My authority is second only to the
king's."

The prisoners calmed a little. She knew that people needed strong rules at the outset. They were more
easily resigned to their fate if they knew exactly where they stood. "You will obey instantly the orders of
any Shasinn, unless it is counter to an order from the king or from me. By now, you all know how to
recognize the Shasinn." She swept an arm toward a group of Gasam's elite guard, who leaned on their
black shields, watching the gathering of loot with interest. They were tall men with long hair that ranged in
color from dark gold to almost white.

Their naturally ruddy skins were deepened almost to copper by the sun and all of them had blue eyes.