"Lawrence Watt-Evans - Dus 1 - Lure Of The Basilisk" - читать интересную книгу автора (Watt-Evans Lawrence)

There was a murmur among the villagers as half a dozen men-at-arms
belatedly appeared, their short swords drawn. Garth looked at them in mild
amusement, dropping his gaze at last, and halted his mount with a soft word.
To the northerner, this pitiful sextet appeared as harmless as as many
geese; he had feared he would be confronted by cavalry in plate armor, or at
the very least a few pikemen, not a handful of farmers in rusty mail shirts
carrying poorly forged swords half the length of the broad blade that hung at
his side. Surely his ancestors had fought mightier foes than these? It was
clearly not just the wall that had decayed over the years since the overmen
had withdrawn into the Northern Waste. Still, these were plainly the town
authorities or their representatives, and it was necessary to treat them
diplomatically if he were to go on about his business unhindered. It being the
guest's duty to speak before the host, he said, "Greetings, men of Skelleth."
With some hesitation, the squad's captain-at least, Garth assumed he was
captain, since his helmet was steel rather than leather-replied, "Greetings,
overman."
"I am Garth of Ordunin. I come in peace."
"Then why is your axe unsheathed?"
"I was unsure of my reception."
Hesitating once more, the captain said, "We have no quarrel with you."
Garth slid the axe back into its boot. "Then could you direct me to the
King's Inn?"
The man gave directions, then paused, unsure of what to do next.
"May I pass?" Garth asked politely.
Well aware that, should the warbeast decide to pass, he and his men
would have no chance of stopping it, the captain motioned his subordinates
aside, and Garth continued on his way to the broken-down tavern that had been
known for longer than anyone could recall as the King's Inn, despite the utter
lack of any connection with any known monarch.
As the guard captain watched the looming figure of the overman recede,
it struck him that he had not yet fulfilled his whole duty; two details
remained. "Tarl, Thoromor, we must inform the Baron at once," he said.
Ignoring the unhappy expressions of the two chosen to accompany him, he
pointed to those not named and went on, "And you three will go see whether
that monster killed Arner or whether the young fool deserted his post, and
report back to me" The trio saluted and marched off as the captain cast a
final glance at Garth's back, sparing himself a moment to envy the overman's
armor and weapons before hurrying toward the Baron's mansion. The pair he took
with him followed reluctantly, muttering over the unpleasant likelihood that
their lord would be in one of his notorious fits of depression.
It was a sign of Skelleth's poverty that the Baron could afford neither
palace nor castle, but made do with a house that was referred to as a mansion
largely out of courtesy, facing the market-square and blocking a few winding
streets that perforce ended in a short cross-alley along the rear of the
Baron's home. Once these streets had been thoroughfares leading into the
square when Skelleth had a less immediate government; but the first Baron had
erected his domicile and seat of government with an utter disregard for
anything except the appearance of its unbroken façade. Thus the alley that had
once been an unimportant cross-street became even less important as the
streets leading into it were cut off, and sank into a state of filth and