"Dave Duncan - A Man Of His Word 2 - Faery Lands Forlorn" - читать интересную книгу автора (Duncan Dave)

She stopped abruptly, frowning at Azak. "What're you doing here,
Beautiful?" She spoke to him as Inos would to a wayward horse.

Azak scowled. His teeth were large and regular and very white. "You
summoned me." Again the dislike was obviously mutual.

Rasha laughed. "Well, so I did! I'd forgotten. I was feeling bitchy and
wanted some entertainment." She turned to Inos. "You've met Prince Azak,
dearie?"

"He's not the sultan?"

"Oh, never! Don't believe a thing he says. He's a notorious liar. "

A jotunn would have struck her for that remark, even had the act meant
suicide. Azak almost did. His lips paled, his neck bulged, but he
managed to control his fury, just barely.

Rasha was enjoying herself. "All men are liars, my dear," she said with
affected sweetness. "Whatever they tell you, they only want one thing,
and lots of it. Don't call him `sultan' inside the palace, either-I'm
trying to stamp out that nonsense. Here's all right; nowhere else. Now
come, move your little buns. " She led the way, marching like a


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legionary, her vestments floating out behind her. As she went by Azak,
she reached up and tweaked his beard. He recoiled with a choking noise.

"Wait!" Inos cried. But the sorceress kept going, weaving between the
furniture. Inos ran after, dodging overstuffed divans and bronze urns
and porcelain animals. "What about Rap? And Doctor Sagorn? And the
goblin?"

She caught up with Rasha at a circular balustrade in the center of the
room. Here a grand staircase spiraled down to a lower chamber. That was
why there were no doors, of course.

"What about them? " the sorceress asked, not looking around.

"You just left them there? Left them for the imps to kill?" The sultana
walked around to the top of the stair and paused at the first step,
where the way was partly obstructed by a lifesize carving of a black
panther, seemingly poised to spring at any intruder coming up toward it.

"This is Claws, " she muttered absently, but she was studying the great
shimmering dome overhead. Or possibly she was listening to something. A
small smile played around her mouth, registering satisfaction. Then she