Раненая лань

Глава XIII

"I heard you wanted to talk to me." I wanted to discuss some things with you myself, so let's get started. Godfrid sat impressively in a chair, slowly sipping cognac. Lucifer declined the proffered drink and sat across from him, glaring at the king. How much time has passed, and Godfried has not changed. Still the same arrogant narcissist. But Lucifer tried not to think about it. Godfried can't be fixed. And that wasn't what he was going to talk to him about. "If you don't remember, we still haven't discussed my rights here." Where do I get money for clothes, weapons, food? And, Yes, my sword was never returned to me. Can you tell me why?"I don't like the way you talk to me, Lucifer," godfrid drawled lazily, " I've had enough to worry about lately to put up with this kind of attitude." But I'll answer your questions. Your sword wasn't returned to you because I forbade it. It's about money...The king put the glass down on the table and took a small red velvet bag from the pocket of his trousers. Judging by the ringing, there was money in it. Lucifer always had the perfect reaction, so he quickly caught the bag that Godfrid had thrown. Surprisingly, it was much heavier than Lucifer could have imagined .-You are my personal mercenary, - godfrid took the cognac again, - you will protect me."Don't you have enough regular guards?" Lucifer couldn't help but snap ."The thing is, they're ordinary," godfrid said, taking a long drink, " and you'll be my loyal chain dog." And if I say " FAS " to you, you attack. I'll say" guard " and you'll do it. And you'll wag your tail at the sight of me. The king laughed at the comparison. How humiliating it was. The blood rushed to Lucifer's face . Despite the fact that he had spent his entire adult life obeying other people, he had pride. And now he wanted very much to tell his cousin, who was calmly drinking good cognac in expensive silks, while such terrible things as the murder of innocents were happening on the street. How Lucifer wanted godfrid to experience what he had experienced. Eternal hunger, pangs of conscience, sidelong glances. And this is only a small part of what Lucifer experienced . He would have given this bag full of money to have Godfried in his shoes for just one day . And how I love it. It's so interesting to watch the internal struggle. I can almost hear your thoughts - you want to hit me, but your sense of duty and honor will never allow you to do it. No matter how you feel, you will never betray me. And that's what I value most about you. Godfrid laughed again. As always, he was dressed in a leather suit with a wide belt and a silver buckle, and over it was a red cloak with gold patterns embroidered on it. My mother kicked you out of Creople when you were only thirteen. We all thought you were going to die. It's not surprising, but you are not just alive, but also a very strong and healthy man. Lucifer put the money in his pocket and looked the king over again."I think there is a traitor in my inner circle. It's too suspicious that Haystar's new attacks are aimed at the very areas where I'm taking most of the warriors and sending them to the lands where I expect them to strike. And ... Wait. Is haystar attacking your land?"Yes, but it's a secret. No one knows except the Sejm and the military leaders and the army. Until I get an army of Neptune not going to risk it. And I get it only a year later, when Inessa will be fifteen, and I'll marry her for Zacharias. I feel that this day will become a national holiday. Lucifer clenched his hands into fists. Apparently, godfrid is deliberately provoking him and testing his patience."But I want to talk to you more about your service to me." You'll have to keep an eye on each person and report immediately if you see anything suspicious. I'm going to have to think myself - Godfried again poured himself a brandy. Catching Lucifer's surprised look, he explained, " I have a secret conversation with you." I don't think the servants should hear about it. I'm not seventy years old, and I'm still able to pour myself a cognac. "What makes you so sure that there is a traitor among your inner circle?" "Because Haystar is very adept at hitting the most vulnerable spots. First, it attacks the Deadlands, which is quite logical. I am sending a squad of warriors to the borders that I have recalled from the Arctic lands. When they arrived there, the haystar army had already left this territory and moved to Zalesye, from where I did not expect a strike. The army moves in the same direction, but Haystar strikes at the Arctic lands. I don't see any other explanation than betrayal. I feel like Alvarez is putting me in a Vice."Okay, I get it. I'll try to ingratiate myself with everyone who knows what you're doing. -Yes. That's what you're supposed to do. We're going on a deer hunt. Tomorrow. I think this will be a great opportunity to get to know everyone as closely as possible."Is the sorcerer on the list of suspects?" Lucifer asked cautiously, " Every person who is privy to the Affairs of state." Aiden has been useful to me more than once, and I can't say anything bad about him yet. But still be attentive to it. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you about a case right now. Though Godfried and have time to relax, a question which was asked by Lucifer , made him feel uncomfortable. It reminded him of the times when the Queen had scolded him as a child. "Yes, I'm listening carefully. -Just recently, a few days ago, I witnessed a truly disgusting incident - a girl was killed right in the main square of the city. She was drowned in the river. In the hands of the Herald, I saw a contract signed by your hand. Do you think you did the right thing?All relaxation was gone. Godfrid was his old self again. Lucifer was surprised to see that even when he was drunk, the king was looking at him seriously." what do you think, Lucifer , why did I execute this girl?"-Well, think about it. Haystar is raiding my lands, destroying my crops, and enslaving my peasants. How should I explain this to the people? I'm not saying that ...Wait, what? Lucifer was speechless for a second at the news , " are you accusing these people of crimes they didn't commit?" -Quite so. And that's the only thing I can do. If all the people know that I am idle while Alvarez robs my land, what will happen? Panic. I must not allow this to happen. Moreover, now there are various rumors. And my theory that this is all the witches ' revenge for our past mistakes sounds very convincing, don't you think? Lucifer couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had never considered godfrid a good king, but it was too much even for Him. Queen Adele would never do that. Lucifer had always believed that there was no one more cruel than Godfrid's mother. But it turns out that her son is even worse than her. "If that's all, you're free," godfrid said, leaning back in his chair and taking the brandy. Lucifer bowed and left. He hoped to the last that it was a mistake, that godfrid had not ordered anyone to be killed. Now Lucifer began to regret his decision to come to Creople. An unpleasant feeling gripped the man. He was angry. Getting money from Godfrid was even worse than making money from killing infirm people. But the king was right - Lucifer could not disobey him. Especially after accepting the money. Lucifer turned around. He was approaching his chambers when he heard a voice. It was the commander of the guard. Davin. He looked very grim and looked at Lucifer with such hatred that he couldn't help but feel afraid. You should be wary of Davin. This is a person whose opinion is almost impossible to change. And Lucifer is sure that Davin made conclusions about him long ago. Back when he was just an ordinary soldier, and Lucifer was a child that many people felt sorry for and turned a blind eye to all the antics. But Davin wasn't one of them. Lucifer had heard that his heart was compared to a stone, and it was because he never showed emotion and was guided only by reason that Adele noticedhim out of a thousand others. Over the course of fifteen years, Davin had gained weight, which had gone into muscle. He also decided to change his hairstyle-cut his hair bald. Now a strong, bald, two-meter-tall man stood in front of Lucifer, and his small, black eyes looked at Lucifer suspiciously. "Okay, I'll go see him now," but after that, Davin didn't move, so Lucifer had to ask, " is there anything else?" You didn't just show up at this place at this time. I'm warning you right now - if I realize you're a danger, I'll kill you on the spot and not even bother to investigate. So it's in your best interest to get out of here as quickly as possible. "I thank you for your warning, but let me explain something," Lucifer took a step forward and stared into Davin's eyes, " I am here at the invitation of king Godfrid. What would he say to the murder of his guest? He had already decided that the guard commander would just turn around and leave, but instead he grabbed Lucifer's wrist and twisted it. Lucifer didn't say a word in shock, didn't even feel the pain. Only when he looked down at the unnaturally twisted arm did he feel sick."You are in no position to hide behind the king. I've known him a lot longer than you have, and he trusts me more. And I would never believe that he would trust the Punisher. So don't hide behind the king and rely on his protection. I've said it all. Lucifer screamed as Davin returned his wrist to its original position. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. But my arm still ached. Davin didn't wait for Lucifer to recover and just walked past him, as if he hadn't twisted his arm a few moments ago. Lucifer rubbed his left wrist and began to think about what had happened. Davin had just twisted his arm and set it back, and told him that if he suspected Lucifer was going to do something against the king, he would kill him. But Lucifer had arranged for Godfrid to keep an eye on all of his entourage, including Davin. If he is a traitor and knows why godfrid invited Lucifer, then he needs to resolve this situation as soon as possible.As they reached Aiden's door, Lucifer wondered why he was doing this. He shouldn't have gotten involved in this. Then he was on emotions, the thought that Yulai died, caused very strong emotional pain. Now Lucifer realized that he had made a hasty decision. He had to think carefully, as the wizard had suggested. But until the contract is sealed on paper, Lucifer has the right to cancel it. But does he want to?Suddenly, the door opened in front of him. Lucifer pulled himself together and bowed politely to Aiden, who was wearing his favorite purple suit. In General, as he noticed the warlock loved this color, which is why many things in his quarters were in shades of purple. -I think you know why I called you, the voice of Aiden today was viscous like honey and is very serious, we need to discuss our deal, and you know it. Moreover, the stars have given me some more facts that you would like to know. Lucifer stepped into the chamber. Last time, he was too tired to examine them properly. He realized that Aiden was sleeping on the second floor, only now did he notice the stairs. On this floor there was a telescope, various instruments, stacks of maps, a pile of books, and a large mirror. But surprisingly, everything was in perfect order. "Yes, I'd like to know more about the person I need to find." At least his appearance. And where to find it. -I do not know the answers to these questions. I probably don't know the answers to all your questions. But I'll try to tell you everything I know. So sit down, grab a glass of the best Shay wine and listen carefully to me.When Lucifer sat down on a chair that had just appeared and picked up a glass of purple liquid, Aiden began his story. "I was very surprised when I was watching the stars one night. The king instructed me to keep a close eye on them, because they might give me some information about the haystar troops. I did this task, trying to unravel the signs that the stars were giving me and whether it was related to Haystar. But, as it turned out, they were telling me something else. Usually, I quickly understand what the stars want to tell me, because from the very birth I have a close connection with them. But when I saw a constellation I didn't recognize, I immediately knew something was wrong. I had to look for the answer in the oldest books, and after a while I found what I needed. constellation Sagittarius. The ancients described it as a sign of the invasion of our world by otherworldly forces. More than a thousand years ago, the transition between worlds was possible. And before that, the four worlds were one. But the elves decided to divide them, so that there was at least some balance between the worlds. I always thought it was a fairy tale until I was convinced that it was possible. There are many books that describe two more worlds between which our world is located. There was also a legend about the world of the dead, which is located in the middle. But that's not the point now. I found a logical explanation for what happened. The stars of our world and the neighboring one came into contact with each other, and the barrier between the worlds became so thin that a person could pass through it. "Wait," Lucifer frowned, " if a man came to our world because of the location of the stars, why do you need him?" How will it help you enter the world of the dead?"This man has something that allowed him to pass through the wall. Not all people can do this. Moreover, we need to find out what purpose this man came here for. "But why should I be the one to find it?" And how can you be sure that there is no mistake? "The Stars are never wrong,Lucifer," Aiden replied coldly, " and it was they who informed me of your strong connection with this man." That's the only thing I know. Stars can't tell everything. And when I found out that godfrid had ordered you to come to Creople for a mission, I knew I had to take advantage of it. And you will help me. "But there is a chance," Lucifer looked at the wizard carefully, " that Sagittarius will be useless, and it will be impossible to get into the world of the dead. What then? Will my work be useless? -Not appear. This person is different from many others. If he will have me, I will be able to study it. Then it will become clear how he crossed the border and what he used...Aiden was lost in thought. Lucifer also had to digest the information. He believed that there were other worlds. A sorcerer wouldn't trust unverified information. He didn't believe that he could find a person without knowing their appearance, gender, or age. The presence of a strange connection did not inspire confidence. "You know," Lucifer began after a brief pause, " your words don't inspire any confidence. I don't think I can help you. If everything depends only on the stars and on the person personally, you can hardly get into the world of the dead. I'm canceling our deal. "You can't cancel it because we made it. If you decide not to fulfill your contract, then..."Why are you sure," Lucifer suddenly interrupted, " why are you sure that this Sagittarius is still alive?" The sorcerer was taken aback. He had not expected such a question, and he was sure of the correctness of his conclusions. But what if this person is really dead? "You need to find him as soon as possible," Aiden said, pulling himself together. You should take care of his safety if you want to get Yulai back. Lucifer nodded. He had no desire to stay here. He did not learn any new information about Sagittarius, only the history of the creation of worlds, which Aiden read in his smart books. He will fulfill the terms of the contract. Maybe he can bring back not only Yulai, but also his parents. These thoughts made his heart beat faster, for he loved them as he loved no one else. She'll never love you again.