"Lawrence Watt-Evans - Dus 3 - Sword Of Bheleu" - читать интересную книгу автора (Watt-Evans Lawrence)

scarcely past midday. Anything could happen in so long a time. If he stayed
where he was, the overman might have time to work some dreadful plan. He would
be of little use where he was; his only purpose, really, was to run ahead of
any attack that might come and give a warning, since a single man couldn't be
expected to delay even a lone overman for more than a few minutes. For that
purpose the two scouts Captain Herrenmer had posted in hiding on either side
of the gate should be plenty; the gate had remained openly guarded only so
that the overmen would not be certain that the men of Skelleth had taken any
action at all.
Of course, if he left his post, the overmen would see that and know that
action had been taken.
A third solution occurred to him, finally, one that was wholly
satisfactory. He left his post for a few moments, as if answering a call of
nature somewhere in the rubble of the crumbling walls, and found one of the
hidden scouts. After informing the other man of what had happened, he returned
to the gate and resumed his watch.
Meanwhile, the scout was on his way back into the center of town,
staying always out of sight amid the ruins.


CHAPTER FIVE

The encampment was fully as disorganized as Garth had feared. He was halfway
from the wall to the camp before anyone even noticed his presence, and no
effort was made to stop or slow him before he reached the cleared area in
front of the tents, though he was obviously out of place in his battered mail
and drooping trader's hat, his warbeast laden with bundles, so unlike the
clean, sleek, new appearance of the other overmen.
There was no sign of Galt or Thord, but there were various overmen
standing, sitting, or walking about, and Kyrith stood in front of one tent,
listening to a young warrior Garth did not recognize. The two turned when
someone called out a warning of Garth's approach.
The young overman started to demand an explanation, but Kyrith's hand on
his arm stopped him. She scribbled something on the wax-coated tablet she
carried. He glanced at it, then looked back at the new arrival.
"You're Garth?" he asked.
"I am Garth, Prince of Ordunin. Who are you?"
The warrior blinked his red eyes and replied, "I am Thant, son of Sart
and Shenit "
"I never heard of you. Are you helping to run things here?"
"Yes."
"Have the sentries been called back, as I told Thord to do?"
"Well, no. You see, we could not be certain..."
"I don't care why. If you want to make yourself useful, Thant, son of
Sart and Shenit, then you can go run around the village and fetch back all the
sentries that you fools have posted. I'm putting an end to this absurd siege
before it brings the wrath of all humanity down on us.
Thant blinked again, then looked at Kyrith. She nodded. He hesitated a
moment longer, until Garth bellowed, "Move!"
He moved. Garth called after him, "And when you get back here with the