The Riftwar Legacy: The Complete 4-Book Collection. Raymond E. Feist

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ draught to the Kingdom, but he is poison in the throats of our people. He enslaves and conquers, and he seeks to claim greatness, but –’ He took a deep breath.

      ‘My people are few in number,’ he said slowly. ‘We will never count as many swords and arrows as you humans. We rely upon those who willingly serve us, the goblins, mountain giants, trolls, and renegade men.’ His tone took on a bitter edge. ‘Two sons and a daughter I have mourned, and of two wives, one I have seen travel to join the Mothers and Fathers, while the other left me for being the one to call retreat at Sethanon. My last blood kin died at my own hands the night I met young Owyn.’ He looked directly into Arutha’s eyes. ‘I can never go back, Prince of Krondor. I will die in an alien land among people who despise my race.’

      ‘Then why?’ asked Arutha.

      ‘Because my people cannot withstand another war such as we had at Sethanon. Delekhan appears, wearing the dragon helm of Murmandamus, and swords are raised and blood oaths sworn, but while we have courage and dedication in abundance, we lack strength of numbers. Should enough of us die in futility again, the Northlands would lie open to human conquest. We would be as echoes on the wind, for within a hundred years no moredhel would remain alive.’

      ‘We are content to stay on this side of the Teeth of the World. We have no ambitions in the Northlands,’ said Arutha.

      ‘You may not, here in your warm castle in Krondor, Prince, but there are those among your race would conquer to win a title, and you know this. If one came to your King with word that he had seized the town of Raglam and had occupied Harlik, and now controlled a third of the Northlands, would your King offer him a hereditary title and income from those lands?’

      ‘He would,’ admitted Arutha.

      ‘Then you see my point,’ said Gorath.

      Arutha rubbed his chin. He stood lost in thought a long moment, then said, ‘You are persuasive, Gorath. I will take what Makala and Gamina say at face value and assume you have no guile in you. But what now must be decided is if what you know to be true is, indeed, truth.’

      ‘What do you mean?’ demanded Gorath.

      Pug said, ‘What he means is you may be an unwitting tool. If this Delekhan knew of your animosity, might he not have given you the information you seek to bring to us, to cause us to rush to meet him at some place of his choosing?’ Pug indicated the maps and notes Locklear had brought from the barn at Yellow Mule. ‘There are at least a half-dozen false messages here, to be conveniently found by the Prince’s agents, all stressing attacks at unlikely places, Tannerus, Eggly, Highcastle, even Romney.’

      Gorath’s head came up. ‘I have heard that name.’

      ‘Romney?’ said Arutha. ‘What do you mean?’

      ‘Only that I have heard Romney mentioned by those who are in service to Delekhan. There are agents working for him in that area.’

      ‘Would you know them?’

      Gorath shook his head in the negative. ‘Only a few close to Delekhan might know who is working for him among the humans: Nago’s brother Narab, his seniormost advisor, his son Moraeulf, and the Six.’

      ‘Who are the Six?’ asked Pug. ‘You’ve mentioned them before.’

      ‘No one knows. They are swathed in robes as dark as those of your Tsurani friend and yourself, with deep hoods.’

      ‘Pantathians?’ suggested Pug.

      ‘Not snake priests, I’m certain,’ said Gorath. ‘They speak as you or I do, though there is an accent to their voices. Yet, they serve Delekhan and give him the might to unite the clans. Their magic was powerful enough to force Nago and Narab to heel on two occasions when they sought to distance themselves from Delekhan. And among our people, they were the mightiest of Spellweavers.’

      Arutha said, ‘Pug, would you bring that map over here, please?’

      Pug got the map indicated by the Prince, one of the central third of the Kingdom. He placed it on the table next to the one brought by Locklear from Yellow Mule. ‘What cause would Delekhan have to operate out of a river town in the heart of the Kingdom?’

      Pug said, ‘Perhaps because it is in the heart of the Kingdom?’ He pointed to the location. ‘When Murmandamus came against us, he moved through Highcastle, and crossed the High Wold, moving to the southwest to enter the Dimwood and strike south to Sethanon. What if this time Delekhan ran this pass here, and came down the River Cheston by barge?’

      Arutha nodded. ‘At Romney he could turn to the River Silden and north of the City of Silden he could turn westward and force march to Sethanon. It’s his fastest route and his easiest if I’ve got the Armies of the West tied up at LaMut and Tannerus and a dozen other places from here to Yabon. He’d be west of the King’s Armies, too.’

      Arutha looked at Gorath. ‘At last something starts to make sense.’

      Gorath said, ‘If I go to Romney, I may be able to find you the proof.’

      Arutha said, ‘It’s a long step from belief to trust, Gorath. Our people have been enemies too many years for trust to come easily.’

      ‘Send me with your soldiers, then,’ said Gorath. ‘Delekhan must be stopped. If you blunt his attack, send him back to the north with his nose bloodied, his own supporters will throw him down and my people will be saved. As will yours.’

      Arutha considered, and said, ‘I’ve got just the person to put on this task. But Jimmy is out conducting some other business for me right now –’

      ‘Nighthawks?’ asked Gorath.

      ‘What do you know of that?’ asked Arutha.

      Gorath explained the encounters in the sewers with the false Nighthawks and Squire James.

      Arutha nodded. ‘Someone’s anxious for me to send the army into the sewers, cleaning out the Mockers while I’m at it. The two things may be related, but they also may be coincidence.’

      ‘I think them related,’ said Gorath. ‘I have not heard anyone speak of the Nighthawks, but I have heard them speak of Delekhan having sources of information throughout the Kingdom.’

      Makala said, ‘And from what young Locklear said, agents working within the Empire, as well.’ He held up the ruby Locklear had returned to him. ‘These thefts have been under way for some time now.’ The Tsurani magician looked at Arutha. ‘I think these events are all somehow related.’

      Arutha nodded. He looked at Gorath and said, ‘I’m returning you to your room, under guard. I’ll send for you in the morning and we’ll map out your journey to Romney. It’s weeks out and back by even the fastest horses, and we need information in as timely a fashion as possible.’

      Gorath rose from the table and with a slight nod to Gamina and Pug, he left the room.

      Arutha let out a sigh of frustration. ‘So much of what he knows is based upon overheard conversations and rumour. I believe his warning is sincere, but is it accurate?’

      Knight-Marshal Gardan, who had remained silent while the moredhel was in the room, said, ‘I don’t trust him, Highness. We fought them too often over the years СКАЧАТЬ