"Gordon R. Dickson - Dragon Knight 05 - The Dragon, the Earll" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dickson Gordon R)

fief to the Earl of Somerset who had come to a parting of the ways with the Earl
and now was in fief to the Earl of Oxford.

Since his violent parting with the Earl, Sir Peter had, in common fourteenth-
century fashion, regarded all those in Somerset as legitimate prey; and he had
used the recent march of a mob of peasants in revolt to London as an excuse to
raid into the Somerset area—and it was this that had brought him to Malencontri.

"I hate to rouse them," said Angie, looking at the archers and men-at-arms that
lay huddled against the inner stonework of the wall, curled up to conserve as
much body heat as possible while they slept. "I don't know why most of them
haven't simply frozen there, lying in the open like this."

"Some may," said Jim.

"Maybe it'll be easier on them, that way," said Angie. "I can't believe that none
of our messengers got through. We had so many friends…"


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Dickson, Gordon R - Dragon Knight 05 - The Dragon, the Earl ,and the Troll (v1.0) (html).html


Indeed, they had many friends. It was one of the things that caused them to be
attached to this fourteenth century, in spite of its hobgoblins, hedgehogs, rats,
fleas, lice… Naturals, magicians, sorcerers, Dark Powers—and everything else
that made life here either interesting or perilous.

In fact, some of those they knew were almost more than good friends—
incredibly loyal, trustworthy, back-you-up-and-come-to-your-rescue-at-any-time-
without-question sort of friends. The mysterious thing was that none of these had
come to help them this time.

It was true, Jim thought, that the messengers to these friends for help had been
sent out, literally, within minutes after their attackers had been discovered less
than half a mile from the castle. It was possible that all the messengers had been
captured by those now trying to take Malencontri; and at this moment they were
all very dead. But some should have got through.

True, both Dafydd ap Hywel and Giles o'the Wold were far enough off so that
they might have not heard from the messenger and been able to get back here, in
the two days since the attackers had first arrived.

But Sir Brian Neville-Smythe's castle—Castle Smythe—was less than a fifteen-
minute gallop from Malencontri; and Malvern Castle, the fortress of which the
Lady Geronde Isabel de Chaney was Chatelaine—she to whom Sir Brian was
betrothed—was not an impossible distance off. Sir Brian should have come, and
Geronde have sent fighting men to their rescue, if messengers had been able to
reach them safely. But no assistance from either one had shown up.