"Sheri S. Tepper - The True Game 1 - King's Blood Four" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tepper Sherri)

did this mean? Was I a Demon emergent, reading the feelings of others? But, no, this was foolishness.
Tossa could not have been read in this fashion. It spun in my head endlessly, so I tried not to think about
it.
So, we were given food and water and proper amenities and brushed up to be presented to Himaggery in
his audience hall as soon as might be. I heard water under the floor, the warmth of the stones telling their
own tale of power. Dazzle was there, and the pawner. When they had been heard, Chance took our let-
pass from his breast and gave it to the Wizard who perused it.
"All right, lad, "the Wizard said. "You've heard the pawner say he was hired to find you, hired by a

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 KING'S BLOOD FOUR - Sheri S. Tepper

Demon and paid well for his work. You've heard Silkhands say you played a forbidden game to get a
Healer to a wounded Immutable, something anyone could have told you wouldn't work. I've heard
complaining from Dazzle, as usual, but you merit no punishment on that account. Now, let me hear from
you. Why does this Demon want you?"
"I do not know, sir. I have met only one Demon in my life, at the last Festival, and I don't even remember
his name. "
"Well, easy tested by a Demon of my own. " He gestured to a tall Demon who stood at his left, and that
one fixed his eyes upon me. There was a tickling in my head, a fleeting kaleidoscope of colors and
smells, quickly gone. The Demon shook his head and said to Himaggery,
"He speaks only truth. He is only what he seems, a student, a boy, nothing more. "
"Ah. So. Well then, why did you try to kill this pawner? He was, after all, in my protection. "
"He killed Tossa, " I grated. "He killed her or had her killed. What had she done to him? Nothing.
Nothing! And he killed her. "
The pawner squirmed. "An accident, Lord. AтАжmisunderstanding. It was not my intent to kill anyone, but
one of the men in my trainтАжhe was caught up in he chaseтАж"
The Wizard said, "It seems to be explained. The boy has committed no wrong except for a bit of
forbidden disguise. The pawner, however, has killed the governor's daughter, an Immutable. It is likely he
won't live long to regret that. We'll cry you to them, pawner. I'll not have blame laid on me or mine. "
"But, LordтАж"
"Be still. If you anger me more, I'll give you to them rather than merely cry you to them. As for you,
Silkhands, you've done nothing ill except exercise poor choice in certain matters we've discussed before.
And Dazzle is with us again .... "
He had stepped close to me as he spoke, putting his hand on my shoulder. I felt the solid weight of it,
smelled the mixed leather and herb scent of his clothing, nd followed his glance to the window where
Dazzle was posing like some exotic bird or silken cat. I saw her, then saw her again and turned sick with
horror. One eye socket gaped empty. One side of her nose was gone, eaten away. From her jaw jagged
splinters of bone and tooth jabbed through multiple scars, all as though one half of her face had been
chewed away by some monster. I choked. Himaggery removed his hand, and the horror was abruptly
gone. I reached out to him for support, and the vision returned. He saw the sick terror on my face, stooped
toward me to whisper, "You saw?" then drew away, eyes narrowed in thought as I nodded, unable to
speak..
"Say nothing, " he whispered. "Be still. " He caught curious glances around us. "Tell them I am
forbidding you to pretend to Necromancy." Then he left me tot-tering there. I could not leave the room
quickly enough to suit me. Even in my own room, I retched and was sick. When I had settled myself
somewhat, I went out onto the little balcony and sat there, hunched against the wall, trying not to think of
anything. I saw the pawner in the courtyard below me with some other men. In a ew moments they
mounted and rode away, turning south along the lake shore. At the moment it meant nothing to me. Later
I was to wonder, why south? The Gathered Waters and the pawner's ship lay north of us. I had not long to