"Gray, Julia - Guardian 01 - The Dark Moon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gray Julia)

'But surely . . .' Terrel began, then faltered, new light dawning. 'The Dark Moon?'
Shahan nodded.
'It's changed its orbit. That should be impossible-'
'Astronomically impossible",' Terrel quoted.
'Exactly, but it's happening, no matter how hard some people have tried to deny it.'
'So which is wrong, the prophecy or science?" '
'Does it have to be one or the other?' Shahan asked, puzzled now.
'Yes. The Code predicts that astronomically impossible things would happen.'
'It does?' The seer was astounded. 'I've never-'
'Have you heard of someone called Muzeni?' Terrel cut in.
Shahan thought for a while, then slowly shook his head.
'He was a heretic, who was sent here over four hundred years ago,' the boy explained. 'I've been reading-' He stopped abruptly, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. The sudden change in his appearance and attitude was startling, and Shahan wondered what he had done to provoke it.
'Why did you come here?' Terrel demanded abruptly. 'Why now?'
'It's complicated.'
'Why are you asking me these questions?' He was agitated now, and Shahan saw, for the first time, flashes of colour deep within those translucent eyes. 'What's all this about?'
Shahan did not answer immediately. Their conversation had reinforced his conviction that the boy was important, but how was he to explain this to Terrel? How would he react to the news that he was the Emperor's discarded son, or that he might have a part to play in the fulfilment of the prophecy? He might reasonably conclude that the man telling him such tales was mad. If their roles were reversed, the seer would not believe any of this without some proof - and what proof did he have to offer?
For a moment, Shahan considered simply taking the boy back to Makhaya, and confronting the court with his existence. Such a confrontation would be dangerous, potentially explosive, but surely the truth could not be denied then. However, such a course of action would hardly be fair to Terrel. What would the boy actually do} What was his role supposed to be? And his physical appearance would not help his cause. Indeed, it would undoubtedly make him the subject of ridicule and hostility. There was also the certain enmity of those, like Mirival, who had a vested interest in keeping Terrel's origins a secret. They were powerful men, who would do their utmost to discredit the boy. How could Shahan subject him to all that with so little preparation? Given the confined nature of his life so far, Terrel had made remarkable strides, but he was still an innocent.
'Well?' Terrel demanded, growing impatient at the old man's silence.
'Do you know when you were born?' Shahan asked eventually.
'Not exactly. About fourteen years ago. Someone left me here as a baby.' He stopped, his expression changing again. 'Do you know who left me? Was it you?'
'No, it wasn't me,' Shahan replied heavily. He was aware of being drawn into deeper and deeper waters now, and didn't know whether he would sink or swim - only that he had to try. Whatever he said next might have repercussions even he could not foresee.
'Are you . . . ? Do I have a family?' Terrel asked quietly.
The decision about how to answer that question was suddenly taken out of Shahan's hands, as the door to the office was thrown open and a soldier in the flamboyant uniform of the Imperial Guard strode in. The seer rose to his feet, infuriated by the intrusion,, while Terrel seemed to shrink into his chair, his eyes half closed as if in fear.
'What's the meaning of this?' Shahan protested.
'I'm glad to meet you finally, Seer,' the newcomer stated. 'You've led us a merry dance.'
'Do you know who I am, Captain?' the old man enquired, still bristling with indignation.
'Most certainly, Seer Shahan,' the soldier replied.
'Then please leave at once. I have important business here.'
'I'm afraid that won't be possible,' the captain stated. 'You are under arrest.'
The old man was clearly taken aback.
'Arrested? On what charge?'
'Treason.'

Chapter Eight

The interview and its abrupt conclusion left Terrel shaken and bewildered. After the captain's dramatic announcement, two more soldiers entered the room and took Shahan away. The old man protested at first, but then he glanced at Terrel and fell silent, allowing himself to be led from the room. The soldiers simply ignored the boy, obviously considering him to be of no importance. Terrel was grateful for this small mercy, terrified by the guard's evident self-confidence and brazen air of authority. He was left alone in Ziolka's office for some time, apparently forgotten by everyone, and he dared not move from his chair.
His thoughts were dazed, with another set of questions added to those already raised by the visitor. Who exactly was Shahan? The captain had called him 'Seer', but the deference such a title should have commanded had been completely lacking from his tone. Was the old man really one of the astrologers? Or had the soldier just been mocking him? And what had he done to warrant the accusation of treason?
There were so many unanswered questions, but the most puzzling of all - the one that Terrel's mind returned to again and again - was the one he had asked earlier and to which he had received no reply. Whatever Shahan's status or his crimes, he had been Terrel's first visitor from the outside world after fourteen years of isolation. And all he had wanted to talk about was an ancient prophecy. That, like so much else, made no sense at all to the young boy. His whole life had been spent within the confines of Havenmoon's walls, and no prisoner could possibly be expected to know about such things. So why had Shahan come to see him?
Recalling the old man's last fleeting glance in his direction, Terrel could not escape the sudden conviction that it had been his own presence that had silenced Shahan's protests. It was almost as though he had not wanted to draw the soldiers' attention to the boy - and the possible implications of that were frightening as well as unfathomable.
Terrel jumped as the door opened again, startling him out of his uncomfortable reverie, and Ziolka came in. The Head Warden's florid face was sheened with perspiration, and there was a hunted look in his porcine eyes.
'What happened?' he asked Terrel.
'They arrested him.'
'I know that. What did he come here for? Why did he want to see you?'
'I don't know,' Terrel replied truthfully.
'He must have told you something!' Ziolka exclaimed. He was clearly worried, afraid that he might somehow be unwittingly implicated in the visitor's unknown crimes.
'We just talked about prophecies and astrology,' Terrel told him. 'None of it made much sense to me.' He stared up at the warden steadily, refusing to be drawn further.
Like most people, Ziolka could not hold the boy's gaze for long, and he soon looked away.
'This is all getting too much for me,' he muttered. Me too, Terrel agreed silently. Me too.
Alone in his cell once more, Terrel gave up trying to make sense of what had happened. The guard who had escorted him back to the south wing had tried to question him, but he had kept his council, not wanting to add to the gossip that he knew would be spreading through the house. The other cells had already been locked, even though there had still been more than an hour to go until sunset - another sign of Ziolka's panic. As a result Terrel had not had the chance to confide in Alyssa or Elam - the only people he would have liked to talk to - before he was confined himself.
Some time later, after exhausting himself in pointless circles of speculation, he finally fell asleep.