"Lawrence Watt-Evans - Dus 4 - Book of Silence" - читать интересную книгу автора (Watt-Evans Lawrence)

"Why not?"
Momentarily cowed still further by Garth's bass rumble of a voice, the
man had some difficulty in continuing, but at last got out, "The dragon, my
lord! The dragon has once more awakened, after a month's sleep, and is very
hungry! I fear that this time the entire valley is doomed!"
After a brief pause, intended for dramatic effect, Garth asked, "This is
Orgul, then?" He wondered about the mention of a month's sleep; could that
account for the valley's green richness? No, he decided, it could not. He had
ridden through parts of Eramma that were not yet recovered from mere human
battles after a year's respite; how, then, could the devastation caused by a
dragon vanish in a mere month?
"Yes, my lord," the man said, "this is the accursed valley of Orgul,
home of the great dragon."
"I have come to kill this troublesome beast," Garth remarked casually.
"Oh, my lord, it cannot be done! His hide is like steel, his fangs like
swords, his talons like scythes! He can outfly a hawk, and his breath is flame
hotter than any forge!"
Garth saw that the man was almost trembling, but could not guess at the
reason. He supposed that it might be fear of the dragon, or fear of Koros, or
fear of himself, or some other emotion entirely. Even after living among them
for three years, he still did not fully understand humans and knew that he did
not.
"You think to frighten me, little man," he replied. "Know, though, that
I am Garth, Prince of Ordunin, Lord of the Overmen of the Northern Waste. No
beast lives that might defeat me." This was not exactly true, he knew; he
would not care to tackle a hungry warbeast, and a dragon might also prove too
much for him. Still, a little boasting was expected from a warrior. His
statement was not quite an outright lie; had he kept the Sword of Bheleu and
allowed himself to become the pawn of the god of destruction, he could easily
have butchered any dragon that might exist.
He did not have the magic sword, but only an ordinary broadsword of good
steel; even so, he thought he would be able to deal with the monster.
The man tried again, saying, "Please, my lord, turn back; the dragon is
no ordinary beast!"
He was clearly desperate, and Garth hid some small surprise. Why, he
wondered, was this fellow so concerned? Even if he was completely convinced
that the dragon would kill both overman and warbeast, why should that upset
him so? He had given his warning, done what he could to prevent a catastrophe;
why should he be so distressed at Garth's determination? In Garth's
experience, humans did not worry much about what befell overmen.
"Do you fear that I shall enrage the dragon?" he asked. "Is that why you
seek to turn me aside?"
"No, no, my lord, I am concerned only for your own safety! Other heroes
have come, and all have died beneath the dragon's flames and claws."
Garth shook his head slightly, mentally dismissing the man's actions as
incomprehensible. "Stand aside, little man," he said, "lest Koros trample
you." He signaled to the warbeast and rode on, ignoring the continuing
protests and warnings that the man shouted after him.
It was not much later, and the sun was still low in the east, when Garth
rode into the village that clustered about the temple spire he had seen from