"Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman - Rose of the Prophet 02 - The Paladin of the Night" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weis Margaret)

first litter.
His eyes opened wide.
Lying in the most peaceful attitude of repose, his hands folded over the
jeweled hilt of a splendid sword, was a young man of perhaps twenty-five years
of age. He was handsome, with black hair and a neatly trimmed black beard. A
helm carved to resemble the severed snake device lay at his feet, along with a
broken sword that belongedтАФpresumablyтАФto the enemy who had vanquished him.
Dressed in shining black armor, whose breastplate was decorated with the same
design that appeared on the banners of Auda ibn Jad, the young man seemed by
outward appearance to have just fallen asleep. So smooth and unblemished was
the flesh, so shining black and lustrous was the hair, the Captain could not
forbear stretching forth his hand and touching the white forehead.
The flesh was cold. Hie pulse in the neck was stilled, the chest did not move
with the breath of life.
Stepping back, the Captain stared at the man in black in astonishment.
"How long has this man been dead?"
"About a month," ibn Jad replied in grave tones.
"ThatтАФthat's impossible!"
"Not for the priests of our God, sidi. They have learned the secret of
replacing the fluids of the body with fluids that can delay or completely
arrest the natural process of decay. It is quite a fascinating procedure. The
brains are taken out by drawing them through the noseтАФ"
"Enough!" The Captain, paling, raised his hand. "Who is this God of yours?"
' :-
"Forgive me," said Auda ibn Jad gently, "but I have taken a sacred vow never
to speak His name hi the presence of unbelievers."
"He is not an enemy of Quar's?"
"Surely the mighty and powerful Quar can have no enemies?" Ibn Jad raised a
black eyebrow.
This statement left the Captain somewhat at a loss. If he pursued the matter
of this man's God, it would appear that the mighty and powerful Quar did
indeed have something to fear. Yet the soldier felt uncomfortable in not
pursuing it.
"Since your priests have conquered the effects of death, Effendi," said the
Captain, hoping to gather more information, "why have they never sought to
defeat Death himself?"
"They are working on it, sidi" said ibn Jad coolly.
Nonplussed, the Captain gave up and glanced back down at the corpse of the man
lying in state in the litter. "Who is he and why do you carry him with you?"
"He is Calif of my people," answered ibn Jad, "and I have die sad task of
bearing his body home to his grieving father. The young man was killed in the
desert, fighting the nomads of Pagrah alongside the Amir of RichтАФa truly great
man. Do you know him, Captain?"
"Yes," said the Captain shortly. "Tell me, Effendi, why is a Prince of Simdari
fighting in foreign lands so far from his home?"
"You do not trust me, do you, Captain?" said Auda ibn Jad suddenly, frowning,
a look in the cold eyes that made the soldierтАФa veteran of many
battlesтАФshudder. The Captain was about to respond when ibn Jad shook his head,
putting his hands to his temples as if they ached. "Please forgive me," he
murmured. "I know you have your duty to uphold. I am short-tempered. This