"Dave Duncan - The Seventh Sword - 2 - The Coming Of Wisdom" - читать интересную книгу автора (Duncan Dave)

evident, apprentice." Then those eyes dropped, to linger over her cloak.
Quili glanced down and saw that the right side was stained, the faded yellow
cloth marked by streaks of grease, and even perhaps blood, where Nnanji had
hugged her against himself. She looked up in mingled shame and anger, as Novice
Katanji turned away with a deliberate smirk showing on his face. Impudent little
devil!
"No more strays, sailor?" Lord Shonsu was addressing the two men still in the
boat. "Then you will come ashore for food and rest before you seek to return?"
"Oh, no, my lord." The captain was a fat and obsequious man. He would probably
be very glad to be rid of so strange a cargo. To carry a Jonah reputedly brought
good fortune to a vessel and normally the Goddess sent it home again promptly,
but Lord Shonsu would be an unnerving passenger.
"We must not keep Her waiting, my lord," the sailor explained.
"May She be with you, then.1' Shonsu reached in a pouch on his harness and
flipped a couple of coins down. They glinted in the sunlight. Free swords paying
gold to mere boatmen?
"There we are, apprentice. Seven of us looking for a bite of breakfast." Lord
Shonsu had turned to Quili again with high good spirits. He was amused—her
astonishment must be showing. Two swordsmen, two slave women, a boy, a baby, and
a beggar? What sort of army was that?
Then the menacing frown snapped back, and he stared along the jetty at the road
vanishing into the notch of the gorge. He swung around to Nnanji.



file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/D...-%2002%20-%20The%20Coming%20Of%20Wisdom.txt (11 of 184) [10/15/2004 2:29:07 PM]
 file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Dave%20Duncan%20-%2...Seventh%20Sword%20-%2002%20-%20The%20Coming%20Of%20Wisdom.txt

DAVE DUNCAN
21
"Transportation?"
Horror fell over Nnanji's face, and he jerked to attention. "1 forgot, my lord."
"Forgot? You?"
Nnanji gulped. "Yes, my lord."
For a moment Shonsu's eyes flicked to Quili, then back to Nnanji. "I suppose
there has to be a first time for anything," he said darkly. "Apprentice, we have
a problem. 1 assume that we need to climb at least as high as the top of that
cliff?"
"I am afraid so, my lord."
Shonsu turned back to the boatmen, who were fumbling with sails. "Wait! Toss up
a couple of those pallets... and the awning. Thank you. Good journey!" He
stooped to untie a line. Nnanji jumped for the other, watching to see exactly
what Shonsu did and copying him.
Kandoru would never have played at being a deckhand, nor a porter, yet now this
incredible Seventh gathered up the pallets and tarpaulin and went striding
landward along the jetty, the astonished Quili having to trot to keep up with
him.
"Apprentice, can you find us a wagon? The old man can probably manage, but
Cowie..." He smirked again as he said that name. "Dear Cowie has lost one of her
sandals. I should hate her beautiful soft feet to be damaged."