"Dave Duncan - Tales of King's Blades 5 - The Jaguar Knights" - читать интересную книгу автора (Duncan Dave)

The shocks were coming too fast. Promoted in a blink from chief sus-pect to chief inspector,Wolf
mumbled something about being honored.

“Your first destination must be Ironhall,” Athelgar said. “The casu-alties were taken there, for it has the
nearest octogram where they might be healed. Grand Master thinks Sir Lynx will live.”

Notwill make a complete recovery? Wolf nodded, distrusting himself to speak. Outlawed at twelve,
imprisoned five years in Ironhall and four more at Quondam—his brother had never known freedom.
Now this.

“And that is about all we know,”Athelgar said, pacing again.“Every-thing else is hearsay. Go and find
out the facts! The news must be kept secret, until we know who and what and why. Is that understood,
Sir Wolf ? Extreme secrecy! Premature disclosure will cause panic and talk of a foreign invasion. It may
bea foreign invasion for all we presently know. The Commander recommends you as the best man to
investigate. We know,” he added sourly, “that you can be discreet.”

And ruthless, but no doubt he was hinting that any other investiga-tor might uncover secrets Wolf had
known and kept for years. Those would make stale news now, no longer capable of raising the epic
scan-dal they would have stirred up once, yet Athelgar would certainly pre-

8



THE J A GU AR KNIGHTS

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fer that his youthful follies remain unmentioned. Spirits knew he had enough others to satisfy anyone.
Wolf bowed and murmured gratitude for the royal compliment.

“You will be granted all the powers you require. Go and see to your brother and then proceed to
Quondam.”

“Your Majesty does me honor.”Wolf wondered if he was being ap-pointed royal scapegoat for
something. The King thought of him as a killer, but Vicious knew he did any job as thoroughly as
possible, whether it involved killing or not.

“To expedite matters, Commander,” Lord Sparrow said primly, “pray advance Sir Wolf adequate funds
from the Guard’s coffers and apply to Chancery for reimbursement. A representative of the Office of
General Inquiry will accompany you, Sir Wolf.”

“But I will be in charge?” Wolf’s query created an angry pause. It should go without saying that a Blade
would not and could not take or-ders from a Dark Chamber snoop. It also went without saying that the
snoop would feel free to ignore, subvert, or misunderstand any orders from a brainless sword twirler like