"Joel Rosenberg - 04 - The Heir Apparent" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rosenberg Joel C)

As the two closed to within barely five yards of where Karl lay, Karl Cullinane leaped to his feet, a
flintlock pistol in one hand, his saber in the other.

"Halt in the name of the emperor," he hissed, as the others rose up beside him, Garavar with a throwing
knife balanced, the others with sword or crossbow ready.



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That stopped them for a precious second; a second was all that was needed. Arondael wasn't on a war
footing; neither guard had time or inclination to make an outcry in the second before Tennetty and
Hoften were on them.

"Who...?" the larger of the two started, the word trailing off to a gurgle as Tennetty snaked an arm around
his throat, gently setting a knifepoint against his windpipe.

"Please don't scream," she said politely, "or I'll cut the sound in half before it leaves your throat. Now,
open your mouth slowly," she said, jamming a gag in it when he did.

Hoften had silenced his quarry by the simple expedient of jamming his own arm into the man's mouth;
the boy gritted his teeth against the pain as the guard struggled for the moment it took until Karl was
upon him.

Karl Cullinane uncocked and holstered his pistol, then reached out and grabbed the guard by the front of
his tunic.

"I said," he whispered, " 'Halt in the name of the emperor,' " setting the point of his sword against the
guard's throat.

Wide-eyed, the guard relaxed his bite.

"Better. Would you prefer I said, 'Halt in the name of me'? I don't normally like incidental killings, but if
you don't get your damn teeth out of that boy's arm, I'll make an exception. Good.

"Now, I want tonight's passwords."

Wearing the guards' livery, Karl and Garavar approached the guard station, muttering the night's
password under their breath.

As the sleepy-eyed corporal of the guard snicked the bolts aside and opened the door, Garavar took a step
inside the gate and brought a cocked pistol up to the corporal's head.

"You know," he said conversationally, while Karl guided the guard into the shadows, "there comes a
time in a man's life when he has to make a decision. You've got one to make right now. You can either
give out an alarmтАФin which case the emperor will be most irritated with youтАФor you can help us get
close to the baron."