"David Eddings - Belgariad 4 - Castle of Wizardry" - читать интересную книгу автора (Eddings David)

the stolen Orb and cracked open the world, other strange people came to the
village which the sons of Nedra had built outside the walls of Riva. And it
was learned of these strangers that they were the sons of the God Issa.
They called themselves Ny-Issans, and they claimed that their ruler was a
woman, which seemed unnatural to all who heard. The name of this queen was
Salmissra.

They came in dissembling guise, saying that they brought rich gifts from
their queen for the Rivan King and his family. Hearing this, Gorek the
Wise, aged king in the line of Riva, grew curious to know more of these
children of Issa and their queen. With his wife, his two sons and their
wives, and all his royal grandchildren, he went from out the fortress and
the city to visit the pavilion of the Ny-Issans, to greet them courteously,
and to receive from them the valueless gifts sent by the harlot of Sthiss
Tor. With smiles of greeting, the Rivan King and his family were welcomed
into the pavilion of the strangers.

Then the foul and accursed sons of Issa struck at all who were the fruit
and the seed of the line of Riva. And venom was anointed upon their
weapons, so that the merest scratch was death.

Mighty even in age, Gorek struggled with the assassins - not to save
himself, for he felt death in his veins from the first blow - but to save
at least one of his grandsons that his line might continue. Alas, all were
doomed, save only one child who fled and cast himself into the sea. When
Gorek saw this, he covered his head with his cloak, groaned, and fell dying
beneath the knives of Nyissa.

When word of this reached Brand, Warder of the Citadel, his wrath was
dreadful. The traitorous assassins were overcome, and Brand questioned each
in turn in ways that made brave men tremble. And the truth was wrung from
them. Gorek and his family had been foully murdered at the instructions of
Salmissra, Snake Queen of the Nyissans.

Of the child who had cast himself into the sea there was no trace. One
assassin claimed that he had seen a snowy owl swoop down and bear the child
away, but he was not believed, though even the severest urging would not
make him change his story.

Then all Aloria made dreadful war upon the sons of Issa and tore down their
cities and put all they could find to the sword. And in her final hour,
Salmissra confessed that the evil deed had been done at the urging of Torak
One-Eye and his servant Zedar.

Thus there was no longer a Rivan King and Guardian of the Orb, though Brand
and those of the same name who followed reluctantly took up rule of Riva.
Rumor, ever vagrant, persisted in the years that followed, saying that the
seed of Riva still lay hidden in some remote land. But gray-cloaked Rivans
scoured the world in search of him and never found him.