"Dave Duncan - A Handful Of Men 3 - The Stricken Field" - читать интересную книгу автора (Duncan Dave)

“That’s blood!”

“Yes. I cut an artery by mistake.”
Her insides lurched. She never let him talk about what he did in the evenings. She tried to pretend to
herself that he didn’t join in, but she knew he did.

“You killed him?”

He made a noise that sounded perilously like a sniff. “I made a fool of myself, Kadie! They give me first
scream, and I was so excited my hand slipped . . .” He banged his fist on the ground. “What an idiot
trick! He was the best we had, too! Would have lasted for . . . you really want to hear?”

“No.” She could sense his hurt and pain, though. The other goblins would have jeered at him. He must
feel like a failure, like Brak must have felt at losing a fight to skinny Gath, or an imp getting cheated.
Probably the guards would be a lot less inclined to do what he said now.

“I’m glad the man died easily,” she said. “I’m sorry you’re upset. Now please go away.”

He didn’t answer, just wiped moodily at the drying blood that had sprayed all over him.

“What’s wrong?” she whispered.

“Father’s gone mad.” He spoke so softly she barely heard.

Death Bird had always been mad, but she mustn’t say that. “Why? What’s he doing?”

“Nothing. That’s the trouble. It’s not just me! Other men are saying it, too. He won’t turn back. We
keep going south. You know those mountains we saw?”

“They were clouds.”

“The sort of clouds you get above mountains. They’re the mountains on the other side of the Impire! The
Mosweeps, they’re called. He’s brought us all the way across the Impire!”

“I know. You knew. We talked about it.”

“But . . . But the legions are behind us! We should be going back, and he won’t.”

“He’ll have to when he gets to the sea.” She wished she’d paid more attention to geography lessons.

“I suppose. Then we’ll have legions on one side and the sea on the other.”

She had never heard a hint of this from Blood Beak before.

“You think I can change his mind?” she said disbelievingly.

“You? Gods, no! I think he’s forgotten all about you. He hardly even sends for me anymore.” Blood
Beak’s voice trailed off uncertainly.