Camilleri Andrea Komisarz Montalbano 10 Sierpniowy śźar
Andrzej Ziemiański Przesiadka w piekle
Ahern Jerry Krucjata 15 Przywódca
Guy N Smith Sabat 3 Cannibal Cult
Broadrick Annette TydzieśÂ na Hawajach
Cross Caroline SpeśÂniony sen
Boge Anne Lise Grzech pierworodny 03 Wyznanie
Clifford D. Simak Over the River & Other Stories.
Armageddon_ The Musical Robert Rankin
Montgomery Ink 2 Tempting Boundaries Carrie Ann Ryan
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
The metal bolt whizzed unerringly to its target. It sank home, burying
half its length in Nuada's side.
As the High-King staggered and fell back into the arms of his warriors,
Salmhor gave a cry of victory. This was his revenge! But then something
struck him. A sharp pain ran
through him. He felt weak, his arms dropping limply, the crossbow
clattering to the deck. His head dropped forward and he looked down at
the sword blade protruding from his chest. A spreading stain was
discoloring the immaculate, wrinkleless tunic of his uniform.
He looked up at Bobd Derg, eyebrows lifted in a final show of
indignation over this lout's effrontery. Then his body " sagged
and he fell to the deck to lie amid his men. j Bobd Derg yanked his
sword from Salmhor and ran to
his king. Nuada lay motionless, apparently unconscious. | "Quickly,
get him back onto our ship!" he ordered the '. shocked warriors
about.
At once a half-dozen men lifted the High-King and carried him from the
fight.
Gently, he was passed across the gap to his own ship. There Diancecht
was already hard at work treating the many wounded who filled the deck.
The old physician moved quickly to his comrade. He directed the
warriors to lay Nuada carefully down and knelt beside him to examine
the wound.
"Well?" demanded Bobd Derg anxiously.
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
"It has done damage inside him," Diancecht said bluntly. "Still, he
could survive. If we can keep that bolt from shifting, keep him quiet
until we return to Eire, I may be able to remove the bolt safely."
"No!" came the protesting voice of Nuada.
The High-King was now fully awake. He sat up. The physician tried to
push him back.
"You must lay still, Nuada!" he said. "You're badly hurt."
"Am I?" Nuada replied. His hand swung up and grasped the weapon's
protruding end. With one swift move he jerked it free, flinging the
bloody shaft away. Then he hauled himself up, waving off the warriors
who tried to help.
"I am all right!" he assured them. "I will not leave this fight."
"Nuada. you cannot do this!" Diancecht protested with vehemence. "You
can't realize what damage you've caused yourself by that rash act. If
you stay quiet, there is still a chance."
"Back, Healer!" he warned ominously. "This is mv fight. Nothing will
keep me out."
He drew himself erect and stood steadily, one hand pressed tightly to
the wound. He smiled at Diancecht in a triumphant way. "You see, o!d
friend? I am fine. Nothing can stop us now, no matter what."
224
MASTER OF THE SIDHE
BREAKTHROUGH
225
His vigor reassured the warriors. Diancecht understood and moved back.
Nuada swept a scrutinizing gaze over the black ship. It was now in
their hands, the last of the Tower men cut down ruthlessly by de
Dananns wreaking vengeance for the wounding of their king. He looked
around at the rest of the embattled fleets. On many of the black ships
it was the same: the decks heaped with dead, the remnant of the Fomor
soldiers surrendering. On other ships the battles still went on, but in
each case the outcome was clear. The proud Tower fleet was broken.
"We are finished here," he announced. "Now we will go against the Tower
itself. Cut loose the chains. We sail on!"
The warriors were ordered back to their own ships. Goibnu and the other
smiths knocked loose the massive clamps that had kept the magically
forged chains fixed to the decks. The chains pulled loose and sank
forever beneath the waves, their job done. The Eireland vessels drifted
free, then started forward as the wind caught at their sails. They
glided ahead at an increasing speed, al! courses set directly for the
a
a
T
T
n
n
s
s
F
F
f
f
o
o
D
D
r
r
P
P
m
m
Y
Y
e
e
Y
Y
r
r
B
B
2
2
.
.
B
B
A
A
Click here to buy
Click here to buy
w
w
m
m
w
w
o
o
w
w
c
c
.
.
.
.
A
A
Y
Y
B
B
Y
Y
B
B
r r
Tower.
Behind them they left the Tower vessels wallowing helplessly in the
swells, their sleek, black metal sides streaked with the red-brown of
the blood running from their decks.
The large metal doors set in the rooftop vibrated, then parted with a
piercing skreel of metal, swinging up and away from each other on
massive hinges. They were being pushed up by a square object rising
slowly from the interior of the Tower, Balor's private lift.
The metal box shivered and clanged to a halt. Its door slid upward to
reveal the giant being. He rolled forward, Bres striding out briskly at
his side. Behind them, four guardsmen and an officer emerged from the
lift. The four were carefully carrying a singular object: a long glass
rod as thick as a man's leg.
The officer halted the four men beside the lift. Balor's wheeled throne
carried him on to the southern side of the vast expanse of rooftop,
slowing to a halt at the very edge. Bres moved up cautiously next to
the Commander and peered without a great deal of relish out at the
scene spread so spectacularly below.
It took no careful evaluation to determine how the sea
battle was going. Most of the black ships were clearly drifting and
powerless while the Eireland vessels were pulling away, gliding toward
the Tower. The white billows of their scores of sails dappled the
smooth blue surface.
"So, they have somehow managed to break through my fleet," rumbled
Balor. "And now they seek to challenge me! Well, that will be their
final act. I will finish them." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
