"George R. R. Martin - In the House of the Worm" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin George R R)

"Grouns,― he said. “Annelyn, there are grouns down there. Away from the windows.― He
licked his lips.

"I have killed a groun,― Annelyn reminded him. “Besides, we have talked of this. We have our
torch, and each of us is carrying matches. There are old torches all along the tunnel, so many can be lit.
Besides, the grouns never come this high. No one has seen a groun in the Undertunnel for a lifetime."

"People vanish every month,― Vermyllar insisted. “Mushroom farmers. Groun hunters. Children."

Annelyn began to sound cross. “Groun hunters go deep, so of course they are caught. The others,
well, who knows? Are you afraid of the dark?― He stamped a boot impatiently.

"No,― said Vermyllar, and he came forward to join them again. But he rested his hand on his dagger
hilt.

Annelyn did not start again immediately. He walked over to the curving wall, and reached up, pulling a
torch from a bronze hand He lit it from the flames of the torch Riess was carrying, and suddenly the light
was doubled. “There,― he said, handing the torch to Vermyllar. “Come."

So they began to walk down the long dark burrow as it curved and sank, almost imperceptibly: past
tapestries that hung in rotten threads and others that were thick tangles of matted fungus; past an endless
series of torch-clutching hands (every other one empty, and only one in fifty alight); past countless
bricked-up tunnel mouths and a few whose bricks had shattered or turned to dust; past the invisible
warmth of the air ducts one after another. They walked in silence, knowing that their voices would echo,
hoping that the dust beneath would muffle the sounds of their footsteps. They walked until they had lost
sight of the last window, and for an hour after that. And finally they reached the spot where the
Undertunnel came to an end. Ahead were two square doorways whose metal doors had long since
crumbled into flakes of rust. Riess thrust a torch through one and saw only a few heavy cables, twisting
around in tangles and sinking into the yawning darkness of a shaft that fell down and down. Startled, he
pulled back and almost dropped the torch.

"Careful,― Annelyn warned.

"What is it?― Riess said.

"Perhaps a trap,― Vermyllar suggested. He thrust his own torch into the second doorway, and they
saw a stone stair that descended rapidly. “See? There were two doors here, once. An enemy or a
groun might choose the wrong one, and fall down that shaft to its death. It was probably just an air shaft
that they put a door on."

Annelyn moved over next to Riess. “No,― he said, peering into the shaft. “There are ropes.
And this shaft is cold.― He shook his head, and his hood fell back, revealing blond curls that shone
softly in the dancing torchlight. “No matter,― he said. “We will wait here. Deeper than this and
we would meet grouns. Besides, I do not know where that stair leads. So better to wait, and let the
Meatbringer lead us."

"What?― Vermyllar was shocked. “You do not mean to take him here?"

Annelyn smiled. “Ha! That would be a child's revenge. No, we will follow him, deep into the country