"Michael A. Stackpole - Dragon Crown Saga 3 - When Dragons Rage" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stackpole Michael A)

have been broken, but crushing it completely would be difficult.тАЭ
The Black faced her. тАЬI shall hope your assessment is accurate. I suspect you will learn
sooner than I if it is. But how is it that you are not there?тАЭ
тАЬChytrine allowed Oriosans and noncombatants free passage to the south. I did not want
to go, but Dothan Cavarre asked me to safeguard his wife and children as they returned to
Oriosa. I didnтАЩt know until earlier today that he had an ulterior motiveтАШ.тАЭ Alexia hesitated for a
second. тАЬThe Draconis Baron had gotten Kerrigan to create a duplicate for one piece of the
Dragon-Crown, which was left behind as he smuggled the real one out. Chytrine was
deceived, though she still sent troops after us. We held them off тАФ thatтАЩs when Resolute
killed Ganagrei.тАЬ
тАЬThereтАЩs nothing wrong with killing sullanciri . How long ago was that?тАЭ
тАЬTwo weeks? No, only eighteen days. Once we reached Sebcia we got relays of fresh
horses and pushed hard to reach Oriosa with Ryhope. When we crossed the border,
Kerrigan told us he had the fragment. He also said heтАЩd worked a spell on another fragment.
HeтАЩs not sure whether Chytrine will detect it, but if not, it will feed her sense of paranoia, and
that will be to our advantage.тАЭ
The Black Dragon nodded. тАЬIt will, very much so.тАЭ The figureтАЩs head came up as he
turned to regard her. тАЬYou did not come here while on the road тАФ despite having left
Fortress Draconis and having seen a sullanciri destroyed.тАЭ
Alexia blinked. тАЬI didnтАЩt realize there wasтАжтАЭ
The Black shook his head. тАЬNo, there is no requirement for you to share anything,
daughter. What I was leading to was this: these things were quite momentous, and seeking
perspective on them would be understandable. It was not until you were out of danger,
however, that you came here. What else has happened?тАЭ
She frowned. тАЬYou told me, when first I met you, that I could trust Crow. When we reached
Oriosa his countrymen arrested him. They have him in custody. You knew who he was, didnтАЩt
you?тАЭ
 The dark figure slowly nodded, and clasped his hands at the small of his back. тАЬI have
known his identity for a long time.тАЭ
тАЬHow could you tell me I could trust him? HeтАЩs Tarrant Hawkins, the man who betrayed
the last expedition sent to destroy Chytrine. Kenwick Norrington became a sullanciri
because of him.тАЭ Her hands closed into fists. тАЬThere are some who say he even got my
father killed.тАЭ
тАЬYou feel betrayed.тАЭ
тАЬYes!тАЭ The emotions coursing through her surprised Alexia. She hadnтАЩt completely taken
the Black Dragon at his word, but his comments pertaining to Crow had disposed her well
toward the man. To find out that he was the most evil man outside ChytrineтАЩs legions had
hurt.
тАЬYou feel a bit betrayed by me, since I told you to trust him, but more by Crow, isnтАЩt that
it?тАЭ The Black cocked his head slightly. тАЬYou perhaps wonder why he didnтАЩt tell you who he
was, and yet you react with the same revulsion anyone would. Yes, Tarrant Hawkins has
been painted as an evil man, but you have had experience of him. Is Crow evil?тАЭ
тАЬIt doesnтАЩt matter. A man cannot change from his past.тАЭ
The Black Dragon snorted, puffs of cool blue flame jetting from each nostril. тАЬThen, I
would suggest, daughter, that you have a choice of two explanations. The first is that Crow is
as evil as Hawkins is in legend, and that Crow managed to deceive you. The secondтАжтАЬ
AlexiaтАЩs eyes narrowed.тАЬтАж The second is that Hawkins was as courageous as Crow,
and the legends about him are wrong. But, if that were true, why would he allow such lies to
be spread?тАЭ
The BlackтАЩs jaw opened in a dragonish grin. тАЬThat was not a choice given to him, Alexia.