The Mist and the Lightning. Part II. Ви Корс

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      "Of course," Orel tossed the pack away. "You let us down and it's your luck I need you now or I'd strangle you with my own hands. And for now, Lis, take him to the dungeon, to the post."

      "No!" Squint-Eye screamed. "No!"

      Asa woke up with his voice and sat in bed.

      "No, not the post! I cannot stay in a locked room! Anything but that!" Squint-Eye fell on the floor. Lis pulled him by his cloak.

      "Get up, enough of this comedy."

      "No!" submitting to him, Squint-Eye got up. "I don't want back to the cell, to the dungeon!" His face distorted, he was shivering. "I'd better die than go to prison again!" He pushed Lis away trying to take out his knives.

      Nikto was faster than him. He rushed to Squint-Eye and quickly twisted his arms back. Squint-Eye screamed. Lis pulled the knives from the sheathes on his belt and tossed them on the table.

      "That's better," he punched Squint-Eye in his belly a few times. Squint-Eye bent down wheezing. Nikto didn't let him go. Lis turned to Orel.

      "More? Or enough?"

      Orel got up, walked up to Squint-Eye, grasped his head in his palms turning Squint-Eye's pale face upwards.

      "Stop with your madness. Do you hear me?"

      "Don't touch me!" Squint-Eye jerked trying to free his arms but only hurt himself worse. "Make the Unclean let me go!" He tried to turn to Nikto.

      Nikto twisted his arms even more; his joints cracked. Squint-Eye shrieked in pain.

      "What are you doing, Nik?" Orel asked half-surprised, half-frightened.

      "He wants to break his arms off!" Lis laughed. "Go on, don't restrict yourself!"

      Nikto pushed Squint-Eye away, letting him go. He cursed in Unclean.

      Squint-Eye fell on the floor, his arms didn't obey him. He curled in a ball on the floor not looking at them. Orel knelt next to him. "Bert, where have you been?"

      "I fulfilled the order," Squint-Eye sobbed. "Then I decided to take a swim."

      "Dressed," Lis added. Squint-Eye looked at him askance, sniffed.

      "Do you know that Bey attacked us while you were taking a swim?" Orel said in a calm, icy voice. "We fought without you. Enriki nearly died. Do you know why? Because you were not there to help him. He led both his and your soldiers. And Bey has flair about such things. He understood at once Enriki was alone. He sent Edin Ol to attack. Enriki was unhorsed, he was wounded, horses stomped on him. There was no one to stand by him."

      "But I didn't know! Everything was quiet! You stayed in your castle, they went for a routine check, I went to fulfill an order in the Upper City," Squint-Eye swallowed hard. "Who could know Bey would attack!"

      "You had to know Bey could attack any moment! You always have to be on guard, wait and be ready! You cannot do anything else," Orel squeezed his shoulders. "You cannot do whatever you want. You cannot go for a swim or wherever you've been. You don't have such a possibility. Do you understand me? You have to be here, with us, do only what I order, and as soon as you do it, you have to come back at once, for another order, and then again and again. You're not free, you're on the team!"

      Squint-Eye raised his eyes at Orel.

      "Am I a slave?"

      "Yes, if you want that, you are a slave. If you like it this way. If you feel like a slave, it's your choice!" Orel turned to Lis. "Lis, do you feel like a slave in our team?"

      "Of course, I don't!" Lis snorted looking at Squint-Eye with contempt.

      "You see, Bertran Dallen, you're the one to blame in your unenviable position!" Orel continued. "You couldn't make others take you into consideration. There was time when you were one of the best! Everyone loved and respected you! I loved you too! Huh, Bert, do you remember?" Orel talked quietly, almost tenderly. "You were brave and fierce, everyone was afraid of you. And your face wasn't grey like now, your eyes were not red and swollen, always bruised. Your hair," he touched Squint-Eye's dark hair, cut jaggedly, "your hair was long. You were a real warrior. I was proud you were with me."

      Squint-Eye covered his face. "Orel, shut up, it was a long time ago! And I don't care! I don't even want to recall it, I became different."

      "Why? Bert, why?" Orel moved closer to him, took his scratched hand. Squint-Eye shuddered, yanking his fingers away from Orel convulsively.

      "Don't! Don't call me by my name! Everyone knows here my name is Squint-Eye! My name is Squint-Eye! Squint-Eye! Squint-Eye!"

      Lis looked at him in disgust.

      "Why are you treating him like a child, Arel? Don't you see he became a complete nonentity?"

      Squint-Eye glanced at Lis furiously.

      "I hate you so much, Lis! I would cut your throat a long time ago, if Orel didn't love you. It's your luck I respect Orel and don't want to hurt his feelings!"

      "Ooh, just listen to him!" Lis sat back in his place at the table, shook his head. "How scary! I'm so frightened!"

      Orel laughed.

      "Really, Bert, you are insane."

      "You can never kill me," Lis said smirking, "because I'm much smarter than you. I'm clever and you're a real loser!"

      He laughed wickedly showing his teeth filed like a saw jags – horrible, savage teeth that didn't suit his intelligent face. He kicked Squint-Eye's side. Squint-Eye bore it silently, his just lowered his head and his hair hid his face, haggard with illness.

      "You're an ass," Lis said, "good for nothing. I wonder how you still manage to fulfill orders."

      "I don't want any more," Squint-Eye whispered. "I don't want to fulfill any more orders."

      "Of course!" Lis snorted. "It takes effort. It's much easier to inject yourself some shit and then cut yourself."

      "Lis, enough," Orel ordered. "Bert – well, Squint-Eye, if it is easier for you… pull yourself together at last. You angered me a lot but I've already calmed down because you're really pathetic. Your fits became too frequent, you become unbearable, you become a burden for all of us."

      Squint-Eye raised his gaze at him.

      "So, what are you waiting for? Kill me!"

      He pushed his short, unruly hair away from his face, raised his head proudly, one of his eyes looked at Orel bravely. His pale lips were compressed stubbornly. He was beautiful at this moment, somehow calm and peaceful. Despite everything, he was a warrior, dark, wicked and strong.

      Orel shook his head.

      "I can't kill you, we've been together for too long. We were together since the very beginning. You did a lot to restore our square."

      "Gods damn your square," Squint-Eye growled, "my whole life went to hell because I had bad luck to be born in your territory! Where is everyone who helped you to assert your power? Where are they? Long rotting in your castle cemetery! I want to join them. If you can't kill me, tell Lis."

      "No," Orel shook his head.

      "Then СКАЧАТЬ