"Lawrence Watt-Evans - Dus 4 - Book of Silence" - читать интересную книгу автора (Watt-Evans Lawrence)

begun almost three years earlier when the Baron of Sland rebelled against the
High King at Kholis and declared him to be a false king and foul usurper, had
settled down into an apathetic lack of cooperation after Sland had been
defeated in a long and messy battle. The war between Eramma and Orun, which
had been launched by the opportunistic King of Orun in hopes of taking
advantage of Eramma's seeming dissolution, appeared to have reached a bloody
stalemate along a front somewhere to the southeast of Skelleth. Despite the
justification of an ancient border dispute, the war was not popular in Orun
and had created such discontent that there were now rumors of impending civil
war in that land as well.
 Vague reports came in of wars in the western realm of Nekutta, though no
one seemed to know who was fighting whom, and no word at all reached Skelleth
from Mara, Amag, Tadumuri, Yesh, or the other lands of the far south.
A possible fifth reason for Garth to stay was a result of the fact that
Skelleth was peaceful and in a far happier state under Saram than it had ever
been under his predecessor. With so many of the world's trade routes disrupted
by war and insurrection, Skelleth's very worthlessness had helped to make it a
center of commerce. No conqueror in his right mind would bother with so
desolate a piece of land, so far from all the traditional caravan roads; that
left Saram and his patchwork government free to pursue untraditional trade
wholeheartedly and unhindered. The merchants of Skelleth, with their lord's
active encouragement, dealt impartially with the men of Eramma, the overmen of
the Northern Waste, and the mixed society of the Yprian Coast. With no assets
but peace, a willingness to trade, and a manageable location, the town had
grown prosperous for the first time in mortal memory.
It had also, in Garth's opinion, grown placid and boring.
No one else seemed to share his feeling. Galt was too busy buying and
selling, planning new routes and new methods, or setting prices and taxes and
tariffs to be bored. He had become far wealthier than any other overman since
the Racial Wars, yet he appeared interested only in expanding trade, enriching
the treasury, and acquiring still greater wealth.
Saram seemed content to enjoy the rewards of his new position as Baron
while others did the work. He held elaborate feasts to greet every new envoy
or caravan master, dressing himself in fine furs and embroidery-overman work,
imported from Ordunin-and growing steadily plumper, thus losing the trim
fighting form he had had when he served as a lieutenant in the guard under the
last hereditary Baron of Skelleth.
Frima didn't appear to mind her husband's added weight. She had arrived
in Skelleth with nothing; even the clothes on her back had been borrowed from
Garth. She had been no one of importance, a tinker's daughter who worshipped
the nightgoddess Tema and was kidnapped by the rival cult of Sai, goddess of
pain. Garth had rescued her and brought her to Skelleth against her will,
leaving D├╗sarra, long the greatest city of Nekutta, devastated by fire and
plague. He had not wanted the inconvenience of caring for her and had turned
her over to Saram. That had led to their marriage, and thus to her present
position as Baroness. She seemed far more grateful to Saram, who had taken her
in, than to Garth, who had saved her life. Though she still treated Garth as a
friend, her primary interests in life now were pleasing Saram and enjoying
their sudden wealth. Despite certain disappointments-her only child so far, a
son, had been born dead-she was happy. She did not find her new station at all