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

be eating them if you continue. Out with what youтАЩre really thinking.тАЭ
Will, who was ResoluteтАЩs physical antithesis тАФ being small, slender, and relatively
unmarked in his youth, with grey eyes and brown hair тАФ planted his fists on his hips and
frowned. тАЬI am saying what I think. I think we should go out there, pull Crow out of that
turnip-bin theyтАЩre keeping him in, and get away from here.тАЭ
 тАЬReally?тАЭ The VorquelfтАЩs silver eyes had no whites, no pupils, so Will couldnтАЩt be sure
when he was being stared at or not. тАЬLet us play with your scenario, shall we? Not with the
obvious things, though.тАЭ
тАЬSuch as?тАЭ
тАЬSuch as having no place to go. Such as being outnumbered by the troops on hand.тАЭ
тАЬLocal militia. We could slip past them and spirit Crow away, and you know it.тАЭ
Resolute did allow a faint flicker of a smile to flash over his face for a heartbeat.
тАЬRegardless, they would come after us.тАЭ
тАЬSo we kill them.тАЭ
тАЬReally?тАЭ The VorquelfтАЩs expression tightened. тАЬFor what?тАЭ
тАЬThey are going to kill Crow. Did you miss that when Call Mably met us out on the road?
They think Crow was this Hawkins, and heтАЩs under a death sentence. TheyтАЩll take him to
Meredo, King Scrainwood will pretend to listen to him, and then heтАЩll kill him. ItтАЩs wrong!тАЭ
тАЬWhy?тАЭ
WillтАЩs eyes widened. тАЬBecause Crow isnтАЩt Hawkins. He isnтАЩt the Traitor, and thereтАЩs no
way we can let them take him. If some of them have to die because theyтАЩre too stupid to see
the truth, well, sometimes stupidity is a fatal disease.тАЭ
тАЬIt is, at that. IтАЩd be careful, though.тАЭ
Something in ResoluteтАЩs tone sliced into WillтАЩs outrage. тАЬWhat is it?тАЭ
The Vorquelf arched an eyebrow. тАЬAll your posturing is built on your belief that they have
mistaken Crow for Hawkins.тАЭ
тАЬThey have.тАЭ
Resolute shook his head. тАЬNo, they havenтАЩt. Crow was Hawkins.тАЭ
WillтАЩs jaw dropped and he hunched forward, grabbing the foot of the bed. He felt as if
heтАЩd been gut-punched, for no breath could come. He knew from the VorquelfтАЩs voice that
there was no deception, no hidden meaning in those words тАФ and try as he might, he could
find no way to twist them.
But thatтАЩs impossible ! Everyone knew the story of the Traitor, the one who betrayed the
worldтАЩs heroes to Chytrine. In songs he had become Squab, always conniving and craven,
always defeated. It was common knowledge that the real Hawkins had killed himself in
shame over what he had done.
тАЬNo, it canтАЩt be. Not Crow.тАЭ Will looked up and caught ResoluteтАЩs unwavering gaze. A
lump rose in his throat and tears began to leak from his eyes. Crying? No, no, no . He
covered his face with one hand and slammed his right fist down on the bed. тАЬYouтАЩre wrong.
You have to be.тАЭ
Resolute kept his voice even. тАЬYouтАЩre smarter than that, boy. Think, boy, think the way I
know you can.тАЭ
The youth looked up and swiped at his tears. тАЬWhatтАЩs there to think, Resolute? Crow
canтАЩt be Hawkins. Hawkins was a coward and a schemer. Crow isnтАЩt.тАЬ
 тАЬYou were there, Will. Crow gave himself over without a fight.тАЭ
тАЬSure, sure, but he did that to protect the rest of us. HeтАЩs like that, trusting the mistake
would be straightened out.тАЭ Will smiled, nodding. тАЬHeтАЩs too trusting, and you know it.тАЭ
тАЬYes, he is. So was Hawkins.тАЭ The Vorquelf drew his knees up and rested his arms on
them. тАЬThat was why Hawkins had to die.тАЭ
Will leaned heavily on the foot of the bed and shook his head. тАЬI donтАЩt believe it. How