The Sworn Sword — читать онлайн бесплатно полностью

""I would as lief not have to kill you"".

""I would as lief not die"".

""Then give me Bennis. We'll cut his nose off and hand him back, and that will be the end of that"".

""It won't, though"", Dunk said. ""There's still the dam to deal with, and the fire. Will you give us the men who set it?""

""There were lantern bugs in that wood"", she said. ""It may be they set the fire off, with their little lanterns"".

""No more teasing now, m'lady"", Dunk warned her. ""This is no time for it. Tear down the dam, and let Ser Eustace have the water to make up for the wood.

That's fair, is it not?""

""It might be, if I had burned the wood. Which I did not. I was at Coldmoat, safe abed"". She looked down at the water. ""What is there to prevent us from riding right across the stream? Have you scattered caltrops amongst the rocks? Hidden archers in the ashes? Tell me what you think is going to stop us"".

""Me"". He pulled one gauntlet off. ""In Flea Bottom I was always bigger and stronger than the other boys, so I used to beat them bloody and steal from them.

The old man taught me not to do that. It was wrong, he said, and besides, sometimes little boys have great big brothers. Here, have a look at this"". Dunk twisted the ring off his finger and held it out to her. She had to let loose of her braid to take it.

""Gold?"" she said, when she felt the weight of it. ""What is this, ser?"" She turned it over in her hand. ""A signet. Gold and onyx"". Her green eyes narrowed as she studied the seal.

""Where did you find this, ser?""

""In a boot. Wrapped in rags and stuffed up in the toe"".

Lady Rohanne's fingers closed around it. She glanced at Egg and old Ser Eustace. ""You took a great risk in showing me this ring, ser. But how does it avail us? If I should command my men to cross.. "".

""Well"", said Dunk, ""that would mean I'd have to fight"".

""And die"".

""Most like"", he said, ""and then Egg would go back where he comes from, and tell what happened here"".

""Not if he died as well"".

"

"""I don't think you'd kill a boy of ten"", he said, hoping he was right. ""Not this boy of ten, you wouldn't. You've got three-and-thirty men there, like you said. Men talk. That fat one there especially. No matter how deep you dug the graves, the tale would out. And then, well… might be a spotted spider's bite can kill a lion, but a dragon is a different sort of beast"".

""I would sooner be the dragon's friend"". She tried the ring on her finger.