"04.Prince of the Blood" - читать интересную книгу автора (Feist Raymond E)

him; you just don't have the instinct. You'd have tried to
disarm him or something equally noble," Borric ob-
served, catching his breath in a gasp, ". . . and stupid.
Now, let's see about getting out of here."

Eriand gripped his wounded side as they headed to-
ward the door. Several town toughs, seeing blood upon
Eriand's side, moved to block the twin's exit. Borric and
Eriand both leveled their sword points at the band of
men. Borric said, "Keep your guard up a moment,"
picked up a chair, and threw it through the large bay
window facing the boulevard. Glass and leading show-
ered the street, and before the tinkle of shards upon
stone had stopped, both brothers were leaping through
what remained of the window. Eriand stumbled and
Borric had to grip his arm to keep him from falling.

As they straightened, they took in the fact that they
were looking at horses. Two of the more bold thugs
jumped through the window after the twins, and Borric
smashed one in the side of the head with his sword hilt,
while the other man pulled up short as three crossbows
were leveled at him. Arrayed before the door was the
small company of ten burly and heavily armed town
watchmen commonly known as the Riot Squad. But
what had the half-dozen denizens of the Sleeping
Dockman standing in open-mouth amazement, was the
sight of the thirty horsemen behind the Riot Squad.
They wore the tabards of Krondor and the badge of the
Prince of Krondor's own Royal Household Guards.
From within the inn someone overcame his stupefica-
tion and shouted, "Royal Guardsmen!" and a general
evacuation through the rear door of the tavern began,
while the gaping faces at the window vanished.

The two brothers regarded the mounted men, all
armed and ready in case trouble came. At their head
rode a man well known to the two young mercenaries.

"Ah . . . good evening, my lord," said Borric, a smile
slowly spreading across his face. The leader of the Riot
Squad, seeing no one else in sight, moved to take cus-
tody of the two young men.

Homecoming 7

The leader of the Royal Guard waved him off. "This
doesn't concern you, Watchman. You and your men may
go." The watch commander bowed slightly and led his
men back to their barracks in the heart of the Poor