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

born, but that was surely when Hawkins died. We Vorquelves took him in, because we know
what it is to be without a home. And we knew Hawkins couldnтАЩt be the person they said he
was.тАЭ
Resolute smiled, his eyes narrowing at the same time. тАЬNot long after I met Hawkins, he
vowed heтАЩd see Vorquellyn liberated in his lifetime. Just as Oracle knew you were part of a
prophecy, part of the web of events that would lead to VorquellynтАЩs redemption, so we knew
Hawkins was part of it, too. Because of that, we knew the rumors had to be false.тАЭ
Will blinked. тАЬYouтАЩre telling me all this, and yet youтАЩre not helping me to free him? Fat lot
of good his execution will do your islandтАЩs redemption.тАЭ
Resolute shook his head fiercely. тАЬYouтАЩre missing it, boy; think. For over two decades
Crow never set foot in Oriosa. Why? Because we knew, at some point, someone would let
the truth slip. Vorquelven minstrels started the Squab songs. They started the rumor that
Hawkins had killed himself, and people believed it because they thought a traitor ought to
have the decency to kill himself in shame. Later, the same minstrels started the KedynтАЩs
Crow songs тАФ all of them true, mind you. Despite all that, though, we knew that coming to
Oriosa would be too risky.тАЬ
тАЬWhy did he do it, then?тАЭ
тАЬYou can answer that question.тАЭ
Will closed his eyes and concentrated. Crow had spent a quarter century fighting
Chytrine. He had searched the world for Will, knowing he was the last of the Norrington
bloodline, which was prophesied to destroy Chytrine. HeтАЩd fought to destroy her troops and
to keep her from obtaining a fragment of the DragonCrown. And, coming south, theyтАЩd killed
another sullanciri and returned Princess Ryhope and her children to Oriosa.
The thief opened his eyes again. тАЬCrow felt that getting here, delivering Ryhope, was
worth the risk of his life?тАЭ
тАЬRyhope? You were more important, Will. You are the Norrington.тАЭ
Will rolled his eyes. тАЬThatтАЩs beside the point. We canтАЩt let Crow rot in that pit theyтАЩve got
him in.тАЭ
тАЬWe wonтАЩt, but breaking in and pulling him out isnтАЩt going to work, either. You can be
smart, Will, so use your head.тАЭ
 тАЬI am. Getting him out of jail here will be easier than in Meredo.тАЭ
Resolute shook his head. тАЬThink more deeply. CrowтАЩs freedom will be won by something
other than a sword.тАЭ
Will shifted his shoulders uneasily. тАЬMaybe, but sticking a blade into someone like Call
Mably would be fun.тАЭ
тАЬAnd cause more trouble than it would prevent.тАЭ The Vorquelf stretched out again. тАЬThink
of a solution that would work for a shadow, not a blade.тАЭ
The youth sighed mightily. тАЬYouтАЩre no help at all.тАЭ
тАЬWhen you have a plan that will work, I will help.тАЭ
тАЬThe help I need is in making a plan.тАЭ Will frowned. тАЬSo until then, youтАЩre going to do
nothing?тАЭ
тАЬNo, IтАЩm going to sleep.тАЭ Resolute yawned. тАЬNot the whole time it will take you to come up
with a plan, however. I doubt I need much more than a weekтАЩs sleep.тАЭ
The thief stuck his tongue out at the elf. тАЬWell, IтАЩm going down to the common room for
inspiration.тАЭ
Before Will could reach the door, Resolute called out. тАЬDonтАЩt forget your mask.тАЭ
Will stiffened, then pulled it from the peg on the wall. The simple mask of green leather
had an orphanтАЩs notch cut beneath the right eyehole. The Oriosan kingтАЩs seal had branded
the mask above and between the eyes. Will pulled it on. The leather felt cool on his face. As
he knotted it, he made sure to catch a strand of hair in the knot, to make the mask a part of