"Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman - Deathgate Cycle 4 - Serpent Mage" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weis Margaret)

"DAMN IT! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" HAPLO KICKED AT THE DOG.

The animal cringed, slunk away, and endeavored to lose itself in the shadows
of the hold, hide until its master's bad mood passed.

Haplo could see the sad eyes, however, watching him from the darkness. He felt
guilty, remorseful, and that merely increased his irritation and anger. He
glared at the animal, glared at the confusion in the hold. Chests and casks
and boxes, coils of rope, and barrels had been tossed in hurriedly, to stand
where they landed. It looked like a rat's nest, but Haplo dared not take time
to rearrange them, stack them neatly, stow them away securely, as he had
always done before.

He was in haste, desperate to leave the Nexus before his lord caught him.
Haplo stared at the mess, ill at ease, his hands itching to sort it out.
Turning on his heel, he stalked off, heading back to the bridge. The dog rose
silently, padded soft-footed after him.

"Alfred!" He flung the word at the dog. "It's all Alfred's fault. That blasted
Sartan! I should never have let him go. I should have brought him here, to my
lord, let him deal with the miserable wretch. But who'd have guessed the
coward would actually have nerve enough to jump ship! I don't suppose you have
any idea how that happened?"

Haplo stopped, glowered suspiciously at the dog. The animal sat back, tilted
its head, regarded him with bland innocence, though its tail wagged cheerfully
at the sound of Alfred's name. Grunting, Haplo continued on his way, casting
cursory glances to the left and right. He saw тАФ with relief тАФ that his vessel
had sustained no lasting damage. The magic of the runes covering the hull had
done its job, kept the Dragon Wing safe from the fiery environment of Abarrach
and the lethal spells cast by the lazar in their efforts to hijack it.

He had only recently come through Death's Gate and knew that he should not be
going back this quickly. He had lost consciousness on the journey from
Abarrach. No, lost wasn't quite the correct term. He'd deliberately cast it
aside. The resultant undreaming sleep had restored him completely to health,
healed the arrow wound he'd taken in the thigh, removed the last vestiges of
the poison given him by the ruler of Kairn Necros. When he awoke, Haplo was
well in body, if not in mind. He was almost sorry to have awakened at all.

His brain was like the hold. Thoughts and ideas and feelings were in a tangle.
Some were thrust away in dark corners, where he could still see them watching
him. Others were tossed in any which way. Precariously and carelessly stacked,
they would come tumbling down at the slightest provocation. Haplo knew he
could organize them, if he took the time, but he didn't have time, he didn't
want time. He had to escape, get away.

He'd sent his report on Abarrach to the lord via a messenger, giving as his
excuse for not coming in person the need to hurry after the escaped Sartan.