"Lawrence Watt-Evans - Dus 2 - Seven Altars of Dusarra" - читать интересную книгу автора (Watt-Evans Lawrence)

this minor inconvenience no heed whatsoever. Once inside the wall, there
was little immediate improvement in their surroundings. On either side of the
road stood nothing but ruins. Gaping holes half-filled with rubble showed
where cellars had been of old, sometimes rimmed with uneven remnants of walls
of stone or wood or plaster, and between these pits were the broken pieces of
buildings that had had no cellars and now lay in heaps upon bare earth. Galt
commented, in a careful whisper, "Hardly the awesome fortress that our
ancestors described." Larth, in a rather less cautious mutter, replied, "Who
can tell in this darkness? It looks deserted; Garth, are you sure this is
Skelleth?" "Yes, I'm sure; only the central portion is still inhabited. When
the wars ended so did the town's reason for existence, and so did the supply
trains from the south that kept it going. It's been slowly dying ever since.
That's why I think the people will welcome trade, even if it's with overmen."
"I hope so." Larth's voice sank into an, incoherent mumble. The party moved
on, and around them the buildings became less ruinous; on either side stood
sagging, abandoned houses and shops-derelict, but still upright. Rotting
shutters hung from bent hinges; broken doors stood open, revealing only
blackness. Then, as they approached the surviving center, more and more doors
were closed, even barred, and fewer shutters missing or broken. Before too
long the only openings on either side were other streets, rather than empty
lots where buildings had been razed or had fallen in. Everything was dark,
however; the people of Skelleth were clearly all still abed. Finally the
street debouched into the market square that occupied the town's exact center;
it, too, was dark, silent, and empty. Garth was pleased to see that the
Baron's mansion, which occupied the entire north side of the square, was as
dark as any other building. He stopped his warbeast in the center of the
market and motioned for Galt to join him. When Galt obeyed, he whispered.
"This is the place, trader; that is the seat of the local government. Where
would you suggest we set up?" Galt studied the square carefully, and finally
pointed to the southeast corner. "That looks good." Garth nodded. "Then you
three set up there. It occurs to me that a warbeast will not be a welcome
sight in Skelleth, and I am going to put Koros and my weapons somewhere out of
sight. I would suggest that you do the same with the yackers; just tie them up
in an alley somewhere, where they won't upset the merchants. Koros, I think,
had best go somewhere further out; I'll find a ruin somewhere on the West
Road." "As you wish." "I'll be right back. Just remember, keep it
peaceful." Galt nodded. Garth turned and rode back along the route they had
just come, while the others made their way to the southeast corner of the
market and dismounted, stiff from their long ride. Galt studied the
location with a practiced eye, then indicated a spot in front of a tightly
shuttered shop, just beside the mouth of a narrow street. His apprentice
immediately hauled a bundle off one of the yackers and began spreading
blankets on the ground designated. Larth stood nearby, peering apprehensively
about in the gloom, and Galt found himself grateful that Garth had made sure
the party was unarmed; Larth was plainly nervous enough to have drawn sword at
the slightest sound, which would simply not do. Of course, that was Larth. He
himself was not so easily bothered, nor so easily commanded. The dagger in his
boot was simply a sensible precaution, and none of Garth's business.
Leaving Larth to his anxiety, he began hauling bundles off yackers. In a
matter of moments the ugly beasts were unburdened. Galt whispered to his