Read Online The Palace (Bell Mountain Series #6) by Lee Duigon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lee Duigon
Ads: Link
way out of this!” God hadn’t heard his prayers, after all.
“Who is your prisoner, friend? And why have you brought him to me?”
“My lord,” said Ysbott, “this prisoner is Ryons, the so-called king of Obann. I captured him for no other reason but to deliver him to you, to do with as you please.”
Goryk Gillow looked at Jack. Jack tried not to look away, but he was afraid of this man. To be at the mercy of someone who was truly evil—Jack couldn’t help it: he averted his eyes.
And Goryk Gillow laughed.
“I commend you for your enterprise, Ysbott! Honestly, I do. You’ve made no small effort for my benefit, and I appreciate it. The only difficulty is this—that boy is not King Ryons!” And he laughed some more, and Ysbott stood there staring stupidly.
“My lord—” he started to say.
“No, no, my friend! There is no doubt about it,” Goryk said. “You see, I myself have on two occasions seen King Ryons with my own eyes and spoken to him. This boy is older than the king and taller. His eyes are blue, but the king’s are almost black. There’s no possibility that I’m mistaken.”
“Trying to cheat us!” Iolo growled. “Playing us for fools!”
“No—not so, my lord!” Suddenly Ysbott was afraid. Jack reveled in it. “This boy was brought to Lintum Forest, to Helki. And then Helki sent him to a town called Ninneburky. I followed. For months my men and I spied on that town. They put this boy in the baron’s house! They had a man guarding him—”
Goryk held up a hand. Ysbott immediately fell silent.
“You have made a mistake, my friend,” Goryk said. “An honest mistake, I think. Nevertheless, the fact remains that this boy is not the king of Obann.”
“It’s interesting, though!” The bow-legged Heathen spoke for the first time. His Obannese was very good. “If one can make such a mistake, maybe others—many others—might make the same mistake.” He finished with a throaty chuckle.
“Mardar Zo, you have a beautiful mind!” Goryk said, grinning at him. “It may be that Ysbott’s little enterprise will profit us, after all.” He turned to Iolo. “Captain, see that Ysbott and his men are given refreshment and some time to rest. Tomorrow, pay each of the men five pieces of silver and a gold piece for Ysbott.” He smiled at the outlaw. “You have done well, Ysbott. Please consider me your friend, and go in peace. Perhaps we’ll meet again, someday.”
Jack could have laughed at the look on Ysbott’s face. A sack of silver moons and a single gold spearman was probably more money than these fools had ever possessed in all their lives. But compared to what they’d been expecting, it was chicken feed. Why, Ellayne had more money than that in an old slipper under her bed.
Ysbott stared. He’d been insulted, and there was nothing he could do about it. Probably he was lucky to get out of Silvertown alive, Jack thought. Served him right!
“You heard,” said Iolo. “Let’s go.”
“The boy stays here,” Goryk Gillow said, and Jack’s heart slid down to his shoes. He’d been thinking he would be sent packing along with Ysbott. Why would this murdering villain want to keep him?
Iolo grunted and gave Ysbott a little push to get him started. He hustled Ysbott out of the chamber, leaving Jack alone with Obann’s enemy.
CHAPTER 10
The King in the Forest
As horrified as Ellayne was to see Wytt fighting a duel with a giant bird to keep it from devouring Martis, she might have fainted if she could have seen King Ryons.
Many miles away in Lintum Forest, just as Kadmel’s men were chasing off the bird, Ryons knelt over a little spring-fed pool to take a drink of water. No man stood beside him to protect him, but he was not alone. His great dog, Cavall, was drinking, too, noisily lapping water from the pool.
Towering over them stood one of the gigantic killer birds. It
“Who is your prisoner, friend? And why have you brought him to me?”
“My lord,” said Ysbott, “this prisoner is Ryons, the so-called king of Obann. I captured him for no other reason but to deliver him to you, to do with as you please.”
Goryk Gillow looked at Jack. Jack tried not to look away, but he was afraid of this man. To be at the mercy of someone who was truly evil—Jack couldn’t help it: he averted his eyes.
And Goryk Gillow laughed.
“I commend you for your enterprise, Ysbott! Honestly, I do. You’ve made no small effort for my benefit, and I appreciate it. The only difficulty is this—that boy is not King Ryons!” And he laughed some more, and Ysbott stood there staring stupidly.
“My lord—” he started to say.
“No, no, my friend! There is no doubt about it,” Goryk said. “You see, I myself have on two occasions seen King Ryons with my own eyes and spoken to him. This boy is older than the king and taller. His eyes are blue, but the king’s are almost black. There’s no possibility that I’m mistaken.”
“Trying to cheat us!” Iolo growled. “Playing us for fools!”
“No—not so, my lord!” Suddenly Ysbott was afraid. Jack reveled in it. “This boy was brought to Lintum Forest, to Helki. And then Helki sent him to a town called Ninneburky. I followed. For months my men and I spied on that town. They put this boy in the baron’s house! They had a man guarding him—”
Goryk held up a hand. Ysbott immediately fell silent.
“You have made a mistake, my friend,” Goryk said. “An honest mistake, I think. Nevertheless, the fact remains that this boy is not the king of Obann.”
“It’s interesting, though!” The bow-legged Heathen spoke for the first time. His Obannese was very good. “If one can make such a mistake, maybe others—many others—might make the same mistake.” He finished with a throaty chuckle.
“Mardar Zo, you have a beautiful mind!” Goryk said, grinning at him. “It may be that Ysbott’s little enterprise will profit us, after all.” He turned to Iolo. “Captain, see that Ysbott and his men are given refreshment and some time to rest. Tomorrow, pay each of the men five pieces of silver and a gold piece for Ysbott.” He smiled at the outlaw. “You have done well, Ysbott. Please consider me your friend, and go in peace. Perhaps we’ll meet again, someday.”
Jack could have laughed at the look on Ysbott’s face. A sack of silver moons and a single gold spearman was probably more money than these fools had ever possessed in all their lives. But compared to what they’d been expecting, it was chicken feed. Why, Ellayne had more money than that in an old slipper under her bed.
Ysbott stared. He’d been insulted, and there was nothing he could do about it. Probably he was lucky to get out of Silvertown alive, Jack thought. Served him right!
“You heard,” said Iolo. “Let’s go.”
“The boy stays here,” Goryk Gillow said, and Jack’s heart slid down to his shoes. He’d been thinking he would be sent packing along with Ysbott. Why would this murdering villain want to keep him?
Iolo grunted and gave Ysbott a little push to get him started. He hustled Ysbott out of the chamber, leaving Jack alone with Obann’s enemy.
CHAPTER 10
The King in the Forest
As horrified as Ellayne was to see Wytt fighting a duel with a giant bird to keep it from devouring Martis, she might have fainted if she could have seen King Ryons.
Many miles away in Lintum Forest, just as Kadmel’s men were chasing off the bird, Ryons knelt over a little spring-fed pool to take a drink of water. No man stood beside him to protect him, but he was not alone. His great dog, Cavall, was drinking, too, noisily lapping water from the pool.
Towering over them stood one of the gigantic killer birds. It
Similar Books
