"David Gemmell - Morningstar" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gemmel David)

hardened and he lifted the dagger, tapping my naked arm with the tip.

'Let us not quibble, master Odell. I do not wish to kill you, but it would not
worry me overmuch. I have killed men for less than two gold coins.’ You couldn't possibly
kill me,' I said.

'Really?' he answered, the dagger point rising to rest on my neck. Tray explain?’
You saved my life.’ What has that got to do with it?'There are many religions which point
out that a rescued man is the responsibility of the rescuer. Our lives are now linked.’ I
am not a religious man - nor especially patient. And if you do not surrender the gold to
me at once I shall sever whatever links there are with this dagger.’ The words were
spoken with great sincerity. I glanced around the room. My clothes had been thrown from
the chair, and the drawers of the small dresser lay open. My boots had been pulled from
beneath the bed and were lying by the fire. 'You have searched the room, and you can see
that I am naked. There is no money here; I spent it.’ You lie! He gave you two gold
coins.’ Indeed he did.’ It is not possible for you to have spent such an amount in such a
time.’ I paid for this room for a month.' The lie came easily to me, yet I felt no guilt
- for this, I understood, was a kind of game, a battle of wits. I was sure that in such a
contest I could outwit the fellow.

'Right- you die,' he said, rising. Before I could speak he pushed me to my back,
his dagger pressing against the base of my throat. 'Last chance,' he told me cheerfully.



'It's in my boot,' I said.

'I am losing patience. I've already looked in your boots.' The dagger point nicked
the skin and I felt the blood flow.

‘There is a special pocket,' I told him.

He moved away from me and knelt by the boots, examining them. 'Clever,' he
muttered, finding the pocket and tipping out the contents.

‘The silver is mine!' I said, rolling from the bed.
 'Wrong. You tried to cheat me. You deserve to lose it all.''That is hardly fair!' I
argued.

'It is not my business to be fair. I am a thief.’ There was a certain logic to the
argument which was hard to dispute, but my temper was rising. As I said I am not by
nature heroic, but neither am I cursed with cowardice. The gold I would not fight for,
but the silver was mine and well-earned. I saw his eyes narrow, and I knew he had read my
intentions. I would not say he was alarmed, but I am not a small man and in those days,
filled with the strength of youth, I would have been no easy victim.

'Do not be foolish now,' he warned me. 'You could die here!’ I was about to leap
upon him when I heard the sounds of footsteps upon the stairs. Then soft tapping came at
the door. 'Are you awake?' called Petra.