"Karl Edward Wagner - Cold Light" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wagner Karl Edward)

"Roof of that place is timber, of course. I can ride a bit closer and
pepper it with as many fire arrows as you want. It's an easy target
that size, and I'll still be out of Kane's range. No crossbow can
shoot as far as a heavy horn bow—unless you count those
stupid-looking contraptions that take five minutes for a strong
man to wind to a cock."
"Great? We'll burn him out then!" Gaethaa declared.
So Anmuspi the Archer rode back toward the villa.
Dismounting beside a clump of young palms, he kindled a small
fire and wrapped the ends of several shafts with resinous
material. Lighting these from the fire, Anmuspi stepped into the
open to draw his bow. He sank his first arrow into the roof of the
villa, and his second shot struck about two feet from the other.
They burned dismally, evidently unable to fire the timbers. The
third arrow was snuffed out in flight and fell without effect upon
the roof.
"Try for a window, Anmuspi!" Alidore called.
The archer nodded and shifted his target. Without apparent
effort, he fired two more arrows through one window and
embedded another in the wall beside the opening. This time he
was rewarded with billows of smoke from within. Dron Missa
applauded loudly.
Anmuspi was drawing a seventh arrow then, when a crossbow
bolt tore straight through his heart. Released, the last arrow shot
into the sky and made a burning arc through the gathering night
before it plunged into the lake.
"Damn!" exclaimed Gaethaa in amazement, staring at the
archer's body on the ground. "There died a good man! Chalk up
one more point on Kane's tally—he'll make an accounting soon!"
"Looks like he's put the fire out too," observed Alidore glumly
after a pause. "See—the smoke has just about cleared away. Bell
will live, but he's useless for the moment. That leaves seven of us
to deal with Kane now, milord."
"Seven to rush him, it seems," Gaethaa mused. "Still that looks
like our best strategy. Once it gets a little darker we'll charge the
villa. Spread out and move fast in the bad light—all of us ought to
make it to him. One man isn't going to prevail against seven like
us. Kane may get a few of us before he's taken, but take him we
will!"
Cereb Ak-Cetee had been rubbing his narrow jaw in thought
for several minutes. Now he smiled like a school boy with the
solution to an examination question and announced brightly, "It
may be that Kane will offer us no further resistance milord. I
know of one spell that has a fair chance of drawing his fangs and
I should have enough time to cast it before the light grows too
dim to keep watch!"
"You picked a fine time to remember it, wizard!" Alidore
exploded. "What kept you from mentioning this spell earlier!"
"Just remember that you're Gaethaa's lieutenant, Alidore, and
leave the science of magic to me!" Cereb snarled. "In simple