"Mitchell Smith - Moonrise" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith Mitchell)

"... That there is always someone better. And only luck prevents the meeting."
"And?"
"Dueling is one thing. Fighting is another."
"... And?"
"A decisive blow may be struck in retreat."
"And...?"
"Pain is too important to be suffered or inflicted without good cause."
Then, the king had gathered Bajazet into his arms as if he were still a child, and hugged him hard
before letting him go. Strong arms, and the scent of leather and chewing tobacco. "Your First-father," the
king had said, "тАФ the Lord Toghrul, would have been proud of you."
 And on the first day of Lord Winter's festival, the king had given Bajazet a sword тАФ a rapier made
by Guild-master Rollins himself, its blade (of imperial wootz steel) folded and hammered again until even
Rollins had lost count of the doing, so the slender double-edge, slightly sharper than a barber's best razor,
and needle pointed, could with great effort be bent into a curve тАФ to then spring humming, perfectly
straight. The sword's grip was wound with twisted silver wire, its coiled guard forged of simple steel. A
fighting instrument, its only decoration a cursive along the base of the blade тАФ with good cause.
This weapon, its belted black-leather scabbard matched with that for a long left-hand dagger as finely
made, was the only thing of value Bajazet had with him under the frozen log. тАФ And if he hadn't already
been up and dressed for before-dawn's hunt breakfast when men in Cooper livery came kicking through the
lodge doors, he would have had to flee naked out the upstairs window and down the wooden fire-ladder тАФ
Old Noel Purse shouting, Run... RUN! amid the noise of steel on steel, breakfast tables toppling, the
screams of dying men.
Naked, Bajazet would himself have died in the icy day he'd been hunted through East-bank woods.
But, up early for pig sausage and fried chicken-eggs when treachery came calling, he'd snatched up his
sword-belt, then run in imperial cotton under-things, buckskin jerkin and trousers, wool stockings, fine
half-boots, and a pocket knife with a folding blade. A long wool cloak as well тАФ plucking that from a wall
peg the only thoughtful act of a frantic scurry down the corridor from his chamber to the window and its
fire-ladder, while a few brave men bled for him below. His only thoughtful act...
If he'd always been alone in the world тАФ unknown, unknowing First-father or Second-father тАФ he
would not be weeping now, for shame. Shame at imagining what Toghrul Khan, what Sam Monroe would
have thought of him scrambling along the hall, breathless as a girl, then half-falling down the ladder to run
into the woods тАФ the formidable duelist, the dangerous boy, proved only a Lord of Cowards, and a fool.
Old Noel Purse had said, "Better not," at the notion of going to the hunting camp. Had said, "Better
not," but hadn't explained. Bajazet had assumed it was thought unseemly, with the king and
Queen Rachel lost for only months.... But his brother тАФ crowned
Newton-the-Second only weeks before тАФ had said, "Nonsense; I know you loved them," and turned
back to a desk half-buried in paper-work.
"Can't I be of some help...?" had been Bajazet's only and casual offer.
Newton had turned again to smile at him. "And I'll need your help, Baj. I'd be a fool to waste the son
of Toghrul Khan.... But for now, one of us at least should be without care. So go hunting, for the both of
us."
It was... unbearable to remember. As the royal family's affectionate adoption of a baby boy тАФ sent
by the Kipchak chancellor to save him from Manu Ek-Tam, the would-be khan тАФ as that was unbearable
to remember. All memories that could be ended by simply standing up out of mud and ice from under a
rotting log, and shouting until green-armored cavalrymen heard him and came riding. Then, out sword, and
an end to it.
Only anger prevented him. Anger at himself тАФ even more than at Gareth Cooper тАФ for
carelessness in not considering what opportunity must have been seen after the king's death, with Newton
only nineteen, and kinder than most at Island. A kind and thoughtful prince. Too kind... too thoughtful. The
king had held the river lords down, the Sayres, DeVanes... and Coopers. Had held New England to caution