"Raymond E. Feist - Conclave of Shadows 2 - King of Foxes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Feist Raymond E)

now
by more than the presence of the man who had followed him from Salador. He
had
been subsumed so long in the role of Tal Hawkins that he had forgotten his
true
identity. Perhaps the bird had been a warning.
With a mental shrug he considered that the bird's appearance might have been
nothing more than a coincidence. While still an Orosini at heart, in all ways
he
had been forced to abandon the practices and beliefs of his people. He still
owned a core being—Talon of the Silver Hawk—a boy forged in the crucible of a
nation's history and culture; but he had been shaped and alloyed by fate and
the
teachings of outlanders so that at times the Orosini boy was no more than a
distant memory.
He wended his way through the press of the city. Shops displayed colourful
fashions as he entered a more prosperous part of the city. He lived at just
the
right level to convince everyone he was a noble of modest means. He was
charming
enough and successful enough as Champion of the Masters' Court to warrant
invitations to the very best Roldemish society had to offer, but had as yet
to
host his own gala.
Reaching the door to the moneylender's home, he reflected wryly that he might
crowd half a dozen close friends into his modest apartment, but he could
hardly
entertain those to whom he owed a social debt. He knocked lightly upon the
door
and then entered.
The office of Kostas Zenvanose consisted of little more than a tiny counter
and
there was barely enough room to stand before it. A clever hinge allowed the
counter to be raised at night and put out of the way. Three feet behind the
counter a curtain divided the room. Tal knew that behind the curtain lay the
Zenvanose family living-room. Beyond that lay the kitchen, bedrooms, and exit
to
the back courtyard.
A pretty girl appeared and her face brightened with a smile. "Squire! It's
wonderful to see you again."
Sveta Zenvanose had been a charming girl of seventeen when Tal had last seen
her. The passing two years had done nothing but turn a pretty lass into a
burgeoning beauty. She had lily-white skin with a hint of rose on her high
cheekbones and eyes the colour of cornflowers, all topped off with hair so
black
it shone with blue and violet highlights when struck by the sun. Her
previously
slender figure had also ripened, Tal noted as he quickly returned her smile.
"My lady," he said with a slight bow. She began to flush, as she always had
when