"David Zindell - Ea Cycle 04 - The Diamond Warriors" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zindell David)

Truly I had: myself. And the lies that I had told myself – and others I had inexorably
brought Morjin's armies down upon my land and had nearly destroyed all that I
loved.
'Once,' I said to Lord Harsha, 'I was wrong. This time I am not.'
Now Lord Harsha took an even longer pull at his brandy as his single eye fixed upon
me. And he said to me, 'Something has changed in you, Lord Elahad. The way you
speak - I cannot doubt that you tell the truth.'
'Then do not doubt this either: when it is safe, the Maitreya will come forth. The Free
Kingdoms must be made ready for him. And our kingdom, before all others, must
be set in order. It is why I have returned.'
'To become king!' he said as his eye gleamed. 'I knew it! Valashu Elahad, crowned
King of Mesh - well, lad, I can't tell you how often I've wished that day would
come!'.
Then his face fell into a frown, and the light went out of him. 'But after what's
happened, how can that day ever come?'
I noticed Joshu Kadar studying me intently, and I asked, 'Then has another already
been made king?'
'What!' Lord Harsha said. 'Have you had no news at all?'
'No - we entered Mesh in secret, and have spoken to no one.'
'Likely, it's good that you haven't. There are those who would not want you to gain
your father's throne. I can't think that they would resort to a knife in the back, but as
I said, these are bad times.'
'Bad times, indeed,' I said, looking down the table at him, 'if you would even speak
of such a thing.'
'Well, with your father having sired seven sons, I never thought I would live to see
such a day: Mesh's throne empty, and at least three lords vying to claim it.'
I let my hand rest on my sword's hilt, and I said, 'Lord Tomavar, certainly.'
Lord Harsha nodded his head. 'He is the greatest contender -and he has become
your enemy. He blames you for what happened to his wife.'
I looked down at my sword's great diamond pommel glimmering in the candlelight,
and I thought of how Morjin's men had carried off the beautiful Vareva - most likely
to ravishment and death. How could I blame Lord Tomavar for being stricken to his
soul when I already blamed myself?
'Too many,' Lord Harsha told me, 'still believe that you aban-doned the castle out
of vainglory. And then told the baldest of lies.'
'But that itself is a lie!' Joshu Kadar called out. His hand passed against his chest as
if his brandy had stuck in his throat and burned him. 'Everyone who knows Valashu
Elahad knows this! I have spoken of this everywhere! Many of my friends have, as
well. Lord Valashu, they say, led us to victory in the Great Battle and should have
been made king.'
'He should have,' Lord Harsha agreed with a sigh. 'But on the battlefield, five
thousand warriors stood for Lord Valashu, and eight thousand against, and that is
that.'
'That is not that!' Joshu halt-shouted. It must have alarmed him, I sensed, to speak
with such vehemence to a lord knight who might become his father-in-law. 'If the
warriors were to stand again, they would acclaim Lord Valashu - I know they
would!'
Lord Harsha sighed again, and he poured both Joshu and himself more brandy. And
he said, 'If the warriors were free to gather and stand, it might be so. But we might
as well hope that horses had wings so that we could just fly to battle.'