"Roger Zelazny - Amber 03 - The Sign of the Unicorn" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zelazny Roger)

The Sign of the Unicorn
Chapter 1

I ignored the questions in the eyes of the groom as I lowered the grisly
parcel and turned the horse in for care and maintenance. My cloak could not
really conceal the nature of its contents as I slung the guts over my shoulder
and stamped off toward the rear entrance to the palace. Hell would soon be
demanding its paycheck.
I skirted the exercise area and made my way to the trail that led toward
the southern end of the palace gardens. Fewer eyes along that route. I would
still be spotted, but it would be a lot less awkward than going in the front
way, where things are always busy. Damn.
And again, damn. Of troubles I considered myself amply possessed. But
those who have do seem to get. Some spiritual form of compound interest, I
suppose.
There were a few idlers beside the fountain at the far end of the garden.
Also, a couple of guards were passing among the bushes near the trail. The
guards saw me coming, held a brief discussion, and looked the other way.
Prudent.
Me, back less than a week. Most things, still unresolved. The court of
Amber, full of suspicion and unrest. This, now: a death to further jeopardize
the brief, unhappy prereign of Corwin 1: me.
Time now to do something I should have done right away. But there had been
so many things to do, from the very first. It was not as if I had been
nodding, as I saw it. I had assigned priorities and acted on them. Now,
though...
I crossed the garden, out of the shade and into the slanting sunlight. I
swung up the wide, curving stair. A guard snapped to attention as I entered
the palace. I made for the rear stairway, then up to the second floor. Then
the third.
From the right, my brother Random stepped out of his suite and into the
hallway.
"Corwin!" he said, studying my face. "What's the matter? I saw you from
the balcony and - "
"Inside," I said, gesturing with my eyes. "We are going to have a private
conference. Now."
He hesitated, regarding my burden.
"Let's make it two rooms up," he said. "Okay? Vialle's in here."
"All right."
He led the way, opened the door. I entered the small sitting room, sought
a likely spot, dropped the body.
Random stared at the bundle.
"What am I supposed to do?" he asked.
"Unwrap the goodies," I said, "and take a look."
He knelt and undid the cloak. He folded it back. "Dead all right," he
observed. "What's the problem?"
"You did not look closely enough," I said. "Peel back an eyelid. Open the
mouth and look at the teeth. Feel the spurs on the backs of the hands. Count
the joints in the fingers. Then you tell me about the problem."
He began doing these things. As soon as he looked at the hands he stopped