"Mary Stewart - The Arthurian Saga 02 - The Hollow Hills" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stewart Mary)

skirmish, and the Duke's death. It seems that the Duke's men, Brithael and Jordan, rode to Tintagel as
soon as the Duke fell, to take the Duchess the news. But you'd know that; you were there." He stopped
short, as he saw the implications. "So that was it! Brithael and Jordan тАФ they ran into you and Uther?"

"Not into Uther, no. They never saw him; he was still with the Duchess. I was outside with my servant
Cadal тАФ you remember Cadal? тАФ guarding the doors. Cadal killedJordan , and I killed Brithael." I
smiled, wryly, with my stiff mouth. "Yes, you may well stare. He was well beyond my weight, as you can
see. Do you wonder I fought foul?"

"And Cadal?"

"Dead. Do you think otherwise that Brithael would have got to me?"

"I see." His gaze told again, briefly, the tally of my hurts. When he spoke, his voice was dry. "Four men.
With you, five. It's to be hoped the King counts it worth the price."

"He does," I said. "Or he will soon."

"Oh, aye, everyone knows that. Give him time only to tell the world that he is guiltless of Gorlois' death,
and to get him buried with honour, so that he can marry the Duchess. He's gone back to Tintagel already,
did you know? He must have passed you on the road."

"He did," I said dryly. "Within a yard or two."

"But didn't he see you? Or surely тАФ he must have known you were hurt?" Then my tone got through to
him. "You mean he saw you, like that, and left you to ride here alone?" I could see that he was shocked,
rather than surprised. Gandar and I were old acquaintances, and I had no need to tell him what my
relationship had been with Uther, even though he was my father's brother. From the very beginning,
Uther had resented his brother's love for his bastard son, and had half feared, half despised my powers
of vision and prophecy. He said hotly: "But when it was done in his service тАФ"

"Not his, no. What I did, I did because of a promise I made to Ambrosius. It was a trust' he left with
me, for his kingdom." I left it at that. One did not speak to Gandar of gods and visions. He dealt, like
Uther, with things of the flesh. "Tell me," I said, "those rumours you were talking of. What are they? What
do people think happened at Tintagel?"

He gave a half-glance over his shoulder. The door was shut, but he lowered his voice. "The story goes
that Uther had already been in Tintagel, with the Duchess Ygraine, and that it was you who took him
there and put him in the way of entering. They say you changed the King by enchantment into a likeness
of the Duke, and got him past the guards and into the Duchess's bedchamber. They say more than that;
they say she took him to her bed, poor lady, thinking he was her husband. And that when Brithael and
Jordan took her the news of Gorlois' death, there was 'Gorlois' sitting large as life beside her at breakfast.
By the Snake, Merlin, why do you laugh?"

"Two days and nights," I said, "and the story has grown already. Well, I suppose that is what men will
believe, and go on believing. And perhaps it is better than the truth."
"What is the truth, then?"

"That there was no enchantment about our entry into Tintagel, only disguise, and human treachery."