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 remembered the conversation with Caleb which had confirmed his suspicions. It made him feel uncomfortable. It was another thing Robert had neglected to tell him, another thing he had had to find out for himself.

      Leo and Martha prepared a small meal for the four of them; then Leo took food into the commons for the others. They dined in relative silence, with Leo or Martha occasionally asking Talon about something he might have noticed in the city. More often than not it was a question about some feature of the city he had neglected to notice. Halfway through the meal the conversation fell off into an awkward silence.

      After the kitchen had been cleaned and preparations made for the morning meal, everyone turned in, leaving Talon alone in the kitchen. He ventured to peer into the common room and there he saw Robert, Caleb, Pasko and Magnus deep in conversation. Robert glanced up and seeing him standing there, said, ‘Good night, Talon.’

      Talon closed the door and stood outside for a moment, uncertain of what to do. He had no room of his own to go to, having left the barn for Lela’s room. After some consideration he decided that if she was gone, he might as well use the room for himself.

      He mounted the back stairs and opened the door. The room was empty. The simple chest stood open, and the bed was made up, but there were none of Lela’s personal belongings left behind. Her brush was missing from the small table, as were the tiny boxes in which she kept the few belongings she had acquired over the years.

      He fell hard upon the straw-filled mattress, causing the rope-and-wood frame to groan, and lay thinking. What was to become of him? He had stumbled upon some insights, but he knew there was far more going on than he imagined. Robert was obviously involved with people a great deal more important than Kendrick. Caleb had mentioned his father in passing, but Talon had no idea of his name or what his stake in these things might be.

      The conversations downstairs appeared to be much more earnest than they would have been if they’d simply been gossiping about the coming war, or concerned over the defence of the steading.

      No, there was far more here than Talon had yet comprehended, and it frustrated him not to understand the full picture.

      He was so lost in thought he barely heard the door open behind him. He rolled over and saw Meggie slip through the door. She smiled at him and whispered, ‘I thought I might find you here.’

      He was about to ask her what she wanted, when he saw her reach up and unfasten the ties at the shoulders of her shift. The simple dress fell away and she came over and knelt upon the pallet next to him. ‘Move,’ she snapped, as if he was too slow to understand, and when he did, she slipped under the blanket.

      He stood in mute amazement, until she said, ‘It’s chilly and you didn’t seem inclined to offer me the blanket.’ When he continued to stand mute, she said, ‘Well, don’t be addled. Get in here!’

      Pushing aside his momentary confusion, he obeyed the girl. She pushed him back out of the bed and he landed on the floor. ‘What?’

      She giggled. ‘It’s easier if you get undressed before you get into bed, stupid.’

      He quickly did as instructed, and slipped into the bed next to her. She put her arms around his neck and said, ‘Obviously, Lela didn’t teach you very well. We’ll have to do something about that.’

      Then she kissed him and all concerns for what was occurring in the common room below were forgotten.

       • CHAPTER EIGHT •

       Magic

      TALON SAT UP.

      His heart raced as he heard footsteps pounding up the stairs and for a moment he was disoriented. Meggie stirred next to him and he glanced over and felt more disorientation, though this time it was emotional. How easy it had been to let Lela become a dim memory while he was in Meggie’s arms.

      The door opened to reveal Magnus standing there. He was wearing his slouch hat and holding his staff, and across one shoulder hung a large black belt, supporting a leather bag at his hip.

      Meggie stirred and her eyes came open. Suddenly they went wide as she spied the magician and she pulled the blanket up to her chin.

      Magnus ignored her, ‘Talon, get dressed and gather whatever personal belongings you have. We leave at once.’

      ‘Huh?’

      But the door had already slammed shut behind the departing magician.

      Talon stumbled out of bed and looked around. He didn’t have many personal belongings. He had two clean tunics and another pair of trousers, the boots beside the bed, and a small pouch with a few coins he had earned doing extra work for guests. Even the sword and dagger he used were not his, but belonged to Caleb.

      He looked down at Meggie who smiled shyly up at him. Not knowing what else to say, he said, ‘I’ve got to go.’

      She nodded. He dressed, gathered up his meagre pile of possessions and hurried down to the common room, where Magnus was waiting with Robert.

      Robert said, ‘Talon, you’re to go with Magnus. Do as he bids as if he was speaking for me. I will see you again, but not for a while.’

      ‘Where am I going?’ Talon asked as all vestiges of sleep fell away from him.

      ‘Everything will be explained to you after you arrive.’ Robert’s manner precluded any more questions.

      Magnus moved towards the kitchen saying, ‘Follow me.’

      Talon did so, passing through the kitchen where Leo and Martha were preparing the day’s food. He followed Magnus into the courtyard, where the magic-user said, ‘Stand next to me and hold onto my staff.’

      Talon stood next to Magnus, shifting his pouch and clean clothing into the crook of his left arm so that he could grip the staff with his right hand.

      Without a word, the magician withdrew a device from the folds of his robe, a sphere made from a metal that had a sheen of bronze or, perhaps, even gold. Talon saw Magnus depress a lever in the side with his thumb and the sound of a hive of angry bees engulfed them.

      Talon felt as if the world had dropped away from his feet. His heart leapt into his throat. For a moment he thought he had gone blind, but rather than blackness, he found he could see a profound grey, a void of absolute nothingness. Then the ground was back below his feet, but felt as if it was shifting. He gripped Magnus’s staff hard to keep himself from falling. Suddenly he had the distinct feeling that he was far from the inn. It was still night. And he could smell a strange tang in the air, a pungency he had never encountered before, and in the distance there was an odd sound, like thunder, but low and rolling, repeating itself regularly as he listened.

      The magician watched him for a moment then said, ‘You’re hearing the breakers.’

      Talon looked at him in the darkness. Magnus’s features were hidden in the shadow of the brim of his slouch hat and the only light upon him was from the small moon which was setting. ‘Breakers?’

      ‘Waves СКАЧАТЬ