The Complete Conclave of Shadows Trilogy: Talon of the Silver Hawk, King of Foxes, Exile’s Return. Raymond E. Feist

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СКАЧАТЬ those who destroyed my village.’

      ‘Are you certain?’

      ‘Yes,’ said Talon, his voice the hiss of a coiled serpent. ‘He wore the tabard of the Duke of Olasko, but he sat upon a black horse, commanding the murderers who killed my people.’

      Caleb looked around and saw that four other men had come in behind the man. They were glancing around the room, as if seeking any sign of trouble. Caleb returned his attention to Talon and said, ‘What do you propose to do?’

      ‘Watch.’

      Caleb said, ‘Well done. You do learn quickly.’

      For fifteen minutes they sat there, sipping at half-empty mugs of ale, until the five men left. Talon got up instantly and crossed to Webanks. With a calm voice he asked, ‘Master Webanks, a question.’

      ‘Certainly, young Talon.’

      As Caleb joined them, Talon said, ‘I noticed just a moment ago you were deep in conversation with a man, one who looked passingly familiar to me. I believe he may have visited the inn where Caleb and I are employed. But I can’t recall his name.’

      Webanks looked disturbed and said, ‘He is just a guard, one I’ve hired for the return trip to Opardum. He and his four men are waiting for us to finish our business on behalf of the Duke and then depart.’ With a nervous laugh he added, ‘I can’t recall his name at the moment. Ah … Stark. Yes, I believe it’s Stark.’

      ‘Thank you,’ said Talon. ‘I must have been mistaken.’

      Talon then left the inn at such speed that Caleb had to hurry to keep up. Outside, he glanced left and right and caught sight of the men rounding a corner.

      ‘What are you doing?’ asked Caleb.

      ‘Tracking.’

      Caleb nodded and they followed the men. Talon’s exceptional vision kept him from losing the five men, even though they moved quickly through the press of the bustling market and down streets thronged with wagons, carts and travellers. Finally they saw the men halt, look around to see if they were being followed, clearly decide that they weren’t, and enter a nondescript building.

      ‘What now?’ asked Caleb.

      ‘We wait.’

      ‘For what?’

      ‘To see what happens next,’ said Talon, hunkering down with his back against a wall, so that he looked like a rustic hunter in the city taking his ease.

      Caleb said, ‘You’re certain you recognized that man?’

      ‘Yes, the man called Stark.’

      Caleb leaned against the wall, his eyes upon the door. Time passed slowly, then a pair of men walked up to the door and entered without knocking. ‘Well, then,’ said Caleb.

      ‘What?’

      ‘Let’s go back to our rooms,’ he said.

      ‘I want to see what happens next.’

      Caleb reached down and gripped Talon’s upper arm, pulling him to his feet. ‘What happens next, my young friend, is war.’

      ‘What?’

      Not waiting to answer, Caleb turned and walked back towards the Blind Juggler. ‘I’ll tell you when we’re out of the city.’

      Talon followed him quickly.

      

      The wagon lumbered out of the gate, and Talon looked over his shoulder. It was unusual for a wagon of trade goods to be leaving the city so late in the day, and as a result there was no other wagon ahead of them for inspection and they left quickly. They would spend the night at the Inn of the Happy Farmer and leave at first light the next day for Kendrick’s.

      Caleb had finished his shopping with unnatural speed, and had arranged for a variety of goods to be shipped to Kendrick’s rather than wait for them to be loaded into the wagon. It would cost more, but Caleb seemed to think nothing of the added expense.

      When they were free of any chance of being overheard, Talon said, ‘Tell me.’

      ‘That man Webanks called “Stark” is no mercenary.’

      ‘I assumed that much, since he was wearing the tabard of the Duke of Olasko when he raided our village.’

      ‘His name is Quentin Havrevulen, and he is the fourth son of a minor noble from Roldem, now serving as Special Captain in the service of Kaspar, Duke of Olasko. Captain Quint, as he’s called, is as tough a man as they come and an exceptional soldier. He gets all of Duke Kaspar’s difficult assignments.’

      ‘What is one of the Duke of Olasko’s captains doing in Latagore, disguised as a guard for some merchants?’

      ‘Meeting two officers of the Latagore Army.’

      ‘The two men you saw enter the building?’

      ‘The same. One of them I recognize by sight, but the other I know by name and have spoken with. He’s Captain Janoish, and for him to be speaking with Quint means that Latagore has been betrayed.’

      ‘Why?

      Moving the horses along the road at the best rate he could manage, Caleb said, ‘Because Janoish is in charge of city defence, and for him to speak to an officer of another nation’s army is treason.’

      ‘So war is coming?’

      ‘It has arrived, my young friend. I’ll wager every coin Webanks offered you that Olasko’s army is on the march.’

      Talon said, ‘Why would the Duke of Olasko want to attack Latagore?’

      Caleb replied, ‘Ask Robert.’

      Talon glanced at his companion and saw a firmness to his jaw that indicated that further questions would be pointless.

      The return journey took longer, for the wagon was now loaded with provisions and the horses required more rest. The sense of urgency mounted as each day passed.

      Eventually, they came within sight of the steading and as soon as Caleb was inside the gates he told Talon to care for the horses and get Gibbs and Lars to unload provisions while he went to find Kendrick. Talon did as he was instructed and when the wagon and horses were put away he hurried into the inn.

      He passed through the kitchen with only a perfunctory greeting for Leo, Martha and Meggie. Leo started to speak to Talon, but his words were lost as the young man pushed his way through the door into the common room.

      There Robert and Pasko sat with Kendrick. There appeared to have been a lull in the conversation, for when Talon appeared, all were silent. Robert motioned Talon to sit down. Then he turned to Caleb and said, ‘I’ll send word at once to your father and ask him to have your brother return as quickly as possible.’

      With a wry smile Caleb replied, ‘Which means Magnus will be here a minute СКАЧАТЬ