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

wandered well off to one side. When he came back with them in tow, he found
that Galt had managed to gather more than half the company into position. The
rest, seeing what was happening, were now drifting back, one or two at a time.
It took perhaps fifteen minutes before they were all together, and Garth
found himself again at the head of sixty overmen.
He was also, he discovered, apparently in command of four human soldiers
who had been captured. He ordered their captors to release them and had them
come to the front of the column where he could address them.
"Men," he said, "I wish to apologize for our part in this unfortunate
incident. However, you brought it upon yourselves by firing on us. We are here
as a peaceful embassy, whatever the appearances may be, and do not wish harm
to anyone. Our people remember the Racial Wars, though, and remember that your
ancestors stole our lands and goods and drove us into the wastes; thus their
eagerness in pursuing you. We know that our best hopes lie in peaceful trade,
but the desire for vengeance is strong. Do not provoke us in the future, and
both sides will benefit. I am sending you back to your captain and to your
lord, the Baron of Skelleth, and I want you to convey to them our intention to
come and treat with them. We want only to speak peacefully with them, but we
come prepared for whatever eventualities may arise. I will not be responsible
for anything that may occur if we are again attacked without cause. Do you
understand?"
The four heads bobbed up and down.
"Good. You may go then." He waved a hand in dismissal.
The four men, hesitantly at first, moved down the road. With each step
they moved a little faster; by the time they were lost to sight amid the ruins
along the winding road, they were almost running.
When they were gone, Garth turned to look over his troops. They were
slightly less impressive than before, as their armor was no longer spotless
and shiny; the scramble across the rubble had left them spattered with mud.
There were fewer smiles in evidence than previously. A speech was
probably needed, Garth decided. To give himself time to devise one, he called,
"Was anyone injured?"
The overmen shifted about, but no one answered.
"Did anybody injure any of the humans?"
Again, there was no reply.
"Good. Now, warriors of Ordunin, I have a few words to say. We are here
on a peaceful mission, not to start a war. I am not sure whether you are all
aware of it, but the Racial Wars are finished and we do not want to start them
all over again. We cannot afford to. The humans outnumber us probably a
hundred to one in the world as a whole and have every logistical advantage;
that has not changed in the past three centuries. Therefore, whatever the
temptations or provocations, we must not take any aggressive action unless
driven to it. In the incident that just occurred, I know we were fired upon
from ambush without warning or justification but remember that the humans were
probably terrified at the sight of us and acted without thinking, in defense
of their home. You saw that the display I put on frightened them away almost
immediately. I did not call for their pursuit; what I said was simply in
surprise at the ease with which they were driven back, as I had wanted to
speak to them. Someone among you-I did not recognize the voice-then called for
pursuit and you obeyed. I ask that, in the future, you obey only orders given