Lords of the Bow. Conn Iggulden
Чтение книги онлайн.

Читать онлайн книгу Lords of the Bow - Conn Iggulden страница 29

Название: Lords of the Bow

Автор: Conn Iggulden

Издательство: HarperCollins

Жанр: Историческая литература

Серия:

isbn: 9780007285358

isbn:

СКАЧАТЬ resigned glances and Genghis masked his amusement as they stepped down into thick mud. They were held almost immobile by its grip and their expressions raised his spirits.

      ‘What does your king have to say?’ Genghis continued, staring at the officer. The man had flushed in anger as the mud ruined his fine boots and took a moment to master his emotions before replying.

      ‘He bids you meet him in the shadow of the walls of Yinchuan, under truce. His honour will guarantee no attack while you are there.’

      ‘What does he have to say to me?’ Genghis said again, as if there had been no reply.

      The man’s flush deepened.

      ‘If I knew his mind, there would be little point in such a meeting,’ he snapped. Those with him glanced nervously at the host of Mongol warriors waiting with bows. They had seen the extraordinary accuracy of those weapons and their eyes pleaded with their spokesman not to give any offence that might lead to an attack.

      Genghis smiled.

      ‘What is your name, angry man?’

      ‘Ho Sa. I am Hsiao-Wei of Yinchuan. You might call me a khan, perhaps, a senior officer.’

      ‘I would not call you a khan,’ Genghis replied. ‘But you are welcome in my camp, Ho Sa. Send these goats home and I will welcome you in my ger and share tea and salt with you.’

      Ho Sa turned to his companions and jerked his head back at the city in the distance. One of them spoke a string of meaningless syllables that made Kokchu and Temuge crane forward to hear. Ho Sa shrugged at his companion and Genghis watched as the other seven mounted and turned back to the city.

      ‘Those are beautiful horses,’ Barchuk said at his shoulder. Genghis looked at the Uighur khan. He nodded, catching the eye of Arslan where he stood along the line of warriors. Genghis jerked two fingers at the retreating group, like a snake striking.

      An instant later, a hundred shafts flashed through the air to take the seven riders neatly from their saddles. One of the horses was killed and Genghis heard Arslan barking at an unfortunate warrior for his incompetence. As Genghis watched, Arslan took the man’s bow and cut the string with a jerk of his knife before handing it back to him. The warrior took it with his head bowed in humiliation.

      Bodies lay still on the plain, face down in the mud. On such ground, the horses could not bolt easily. Without their riders to urge them on, they stood listlessly, looking back at the tribes. Two of them nuzzled the bodies of the men they had known, whickering nervously at the smell of blood.

      Ho Sa stared in thin-lipped fury as Genghis turned to face him.

      ‘They were good horses,’ Genghis said. The soldier’s expression did not change and the khan shrugged. ‘Words are not heavy. It does not take more than one of you to carry my reply.’

      He left Ho Sa to be taken to the great ger and given salt tea. Genghis remained behind to see the horses as they were captured and brought back.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QO6aHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcFJpZ2h0cz0iaHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3JpZ2h0cy8iIHhtbG5z OnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0iaHR0 cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1wPSJo dHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bXBSaWdodHM6TWFya2VkPSJGYWxzZSIgeG1w TU06T3JpZ2luYWxEb2N1bWVudElEPSJ1dWlkOkVBNTMzMENBMkY1QjExREZBNzBCOUM4NUUzMkQx OUYwIiB4bXBNTTpEb2N1bWVudElEPSJ4bXAuZGlkOjg1QTU3RjBFMkYzNjExRTc5ODk1RUFFQzNB ODk2OEY1IiB4bXBNTTpJbnN0YW5jZUlEPSJ4bXAuaWlkOjg1QTU3RjBEMkYzNjExRTc5ODk1RUFF QzNBODk2OEY1IiB4bXA6Q3JlYXRvclRvb2w9IkFkb2JlIFBob3Rvc2hvcCBDUzUuMSBNYWNpbnRv c2giPiA8eG1wTU06RGVyaXZlZEZyb20gc3RSZWY6aW5zdGFuY2VJRD0ieG1wLmlpZDozQTYxMjNG RDA3MjA2ODExOTQ1Nzk5MDkyQ0NGODBGNyIgc3RSZWY6ZG9jdW1lbnRJRD0idXVpZDpFQTUzMzBD QTJGNUIxMURGQTcwQjlDODVFMzJEMTlGMCIvPiA8L3JkZjpEZXNjcmlwdGlvbj4gPC9yZGY6UkRG PiA8L3g6eG1wbWV0YT4gPD94cGFja2V0IGVuZD0iciI/Pv/iDFhJQ0NfUFJPRklMRQABAQAADEhM aW5vAhAAAG1udHJSR0IgWFlaIAfOAAIACQAGADEAAGFjc3BNU0ZUAAAAAElFQyBzUkdCAAAAAAAA AAAAAAABAAD21gABAAAAANMtSFAgIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEWNwcnQAAAFQAAAAM2Rlc2MAAAGEAAAAbHd0cHQAAAHwAAAAFGJrcHQAAAIE AAAAFHJYWVoAAAIYAAAAFGdYWVoAAAIsAAAAFGJYWVoAAAJAAAAAFGRtbmQAAAJUAAAAcGRtZGQA AALEAAAAiHZ1ZWQAAANMAAAAhnZpZXcAAAPUAAAAJGx1bWkAAAP4AAAAFG1lYXMAAAQMAAAAJHRl Y2gAAAQwAAAADHJUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDGdUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDGJUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDHRleHQAAAAAQ29w eXJpZ2h0IChjKSAxOTk4IEhld2xldHQtUGFja2FyZCBDb21wYW55AABkZXNjAAAAAAAAABJzUkdC IElFQzYxOTY2LTIuMQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEnNSR0IgSUVDNjE5NjYtMi4xAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABYWVogAAAAAAAA81EAAQAAAAEWzFhZ WiAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWFlaIAAAAAAAAG+iAAA49QAAA5BYWVogAAAAAAAAYpkAALeFAAAY 2lhZWiAAAAAAAAAkoAAAD4QAALbPZGVzYwAAAAAAAAAWSUVDIGh0dHA6Ly93d3cuaWVjLmNoAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAWSUVDIGh0dHA6Ly93d3cuaWVjLmNoAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGRlc2MAAAAAAAAALklFQyA2MTk2Ni0yLjEgRGVmYXVsdCBSR0Ig Y29sb3VyIHNwYWNlIC0gc1JHQgAAAAAAAAAAAAAALklFQyA2MTk2Ni0yLjEgRGVmYXVsdCBSR0Ig Y29sb3VyIHNwYWNlIC0gc1JHQgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABkZXNjAAAAAAAAACxSZWZl cmVuY2UgVmlld2luZyBDb25kaXRpb24gaW4gSUVDNjE5NjYtMi4xAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAsUmVmZXJl bmNlIFZpZXdpbmcgQ29uZGl0aW9uIGluIElFQzYxOTY2LTIuMQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAdmlldwAAAAAAE6T+ABRfLgAQzxQAA+3MAAQTCwADXJ4AAAABWFlaIAAAAAAATAlWAFAA AABXH+dtZWFzAAAAAAAAAAEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACjwAAAAJzaWcgAAAAAENSVCBjdXJ2 AAAA
СКАЧАТЬ