"Holly Lisle - Secret Texts 2 - Vengeance Of Dragons" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lisle Holly)

expected one of the boysto pick him.”

Imogene could tell the Finder was interested in spite ofhimself. She sensed him leaning toward
her, heard a slightquickening in his pulse and breath. “Why not?”

“The god of no color was associated with disasters. I wouldhave thought that the boys would
have saved that name for my sonwhen he arrived. Disasters are, after all, his specialty.”

“Then you’re sure these are the right men?”

“I’d bet your life on it.” She felt him tense ashe caught the wording of her little joke, and she
smiled again.“But just so I don’t make any irrevocable mistakes, tellme the rest of what you
found out.”

She heard him swallow. “As you wish. The one who appearedoldest to the witnesses wore his
hair short — the doxyrecalled him as well. Said that she thought he was balding, and hadshaved
his head to make the fact less obvious. He apparently wasrude to her, telling her he had no
interest in women of her sort.Another was remarkably pale, and had, two male witnesses said,
aface like a moon. He was apparently adept with fortuna — won agreat deal of money from them
before he finally left the tavern.And the last no one recalled until I asked if they were sure
thereweren’t five men together instead of four. Then variouswitness recalled a fifth man who had
occupied a chair at the sametable.”

“That would have been Jaim,” Imogene said. “Hehas the most remarkable ability to be
unremarkable. It’s agift.”

“It would be,” the Finder agreed.

“Well, then.” She rubbed the silk hem of her tunicbetween her fingers, a nervous habit she’d
acquired since shelost the last of her sight. She considered her options.“You’ve found them. I
have no doubts of that. So whatbecame of them? Where are they now?”

“The men who lost so much money followed them to theharbor, where the five men boarded a
ship. No one recalled the nameof the ship. So I checked the harbor records. Several ships
sailedthat night — the tides and winds were favorable. None wouldseem to be the ship they sailed
in, for each listed a cargo and adestination, and none noted passengers, but one, the
WindTreasure, claimed to be sailing for the colonies with a cargoof fruit and wood. The log was
signed out by one C. Pethelley.Merchant Registry lists no Pethelleys, Sea-Captains’ Registrylists
two Pethelleys living but both are accounted for, and the Wind Treasure had never received a
cargo, and never arrived inthe colonies. It is a Sabir registry, a secondary ship that hadbeen in dry
dock for repairs, had just been returned to the waterand recrewed, but was well-known to have
had empty holds. I stillcannot prove a connection between your son and his friends and thisship,
but every other deep-sea vessel that sailed that night —and for the next week, in fact — I can
account for. They wentwhere they said they were going, and did what they said they woulddo.”

Imogene snorted. “Oh, I doubt you can account for every ship. Piracy being what it is in these
waters, I wouldexpect there are dozens of ships he and his friends couldhave left on. So, tell me.
Where did they go?”

“I don’t know. The Wind Treasure has not signedin to any harbor whose records I could obtain.