"02 - The Hawk Eternal 1.1a" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gemmel David)

'Yes. As I like you, Caswallon, you rascal. But then he reminds me of you. You are both thieves and you are both good at what you do -and there is no evil in either of you.'

'Nice of you to say so,' said Caswallon, grinning. 'Now, how much for the Pallides cattle?'

'Why do you do it?'

'What?' asked Caswallon innocently.

'Steal cattle. By all accounts you are one of the richest clansmen in the Farlain. It doesn't make any sense.'

'Tradition,' answered Caswallon. 'I'm a great beliver in it."

Leon shook his head. 'One of these days you'll be caught and hanged - or worse, knowing the Pallides. You baffle me.'

'No, I don't. I make you rich. Yours is the cheapest beef in Ateris.'

True. How is the lovely Maeg?"

'She's well.'

'And Donal?'

'Lungs like bellows.'

'Keeping you awake at nights, is he?'

'When I'm not out hunting,' said Caswallon with a wink.

Leon chuckled. 'I'm going to be sorry when they catch you, clansman. Truly.'

For an hour they haggled over the prices until Leon parted with a

small pouch of gold, which Caswallon handed to his man Arcis, a taciturn clan crofter who accompanied him on his raids.

Now Caswallon stood on the mountainside soaking in the horror of Aenir warfare. Arcis moved alongside him. Both men had heard tales of war in the south and the awful atrocities committed by the Aenir. Foremost among these was the blood-eagle: Aenir victims were nailed to trees, their ribs splayed like tiny wings, their innards held in place with wooden strips.

Caswallon had only half-believed these tales. Now the evidence hung on the blood-drenched gates, of Ateris.

'Go back to the valley, my friend,' Caswallon told Arcis.

'What about the cattle?'

'Drive them back into the mountains. There are no buyers today.'

'Gods, Caswallon! Why do they go on killing? There's no one fighting them.'

'I don't know. Tell Cambil what we have seen today."

'What about you?'