Мор - ученик смерти

           ’Yes,instinctitmayhavebeen,but—’Shestartedtosaythatmaybetheelephantwouldhaveweighedless,butthesightofhisbig,seriousandratherflushedfacestoppedher.

           ’Wewilltalkaboutthislater,’shesaid,sittingupandbrushingthedustoffher.’Inthemeantime,Ithinkwewilldispensewiththesacrifice.I’mnotyourMajestyyet,justyourHighness,andnowifsomeonewillfetchthecrown—’

           Therewasthesnickofasafetycatchbehindthem.

           ThewizardwillputhishandswhereIcanseethem,’saidtheduke.

           Cutwellstoodupslowly,andturnedaround.Thedukewasbackedbyhalfadozenlargeseriousmen,thetypeofmenwhoseonlyfunctioninlifeistoloombehindpeopleliketheduke.Theyhadadozenlargeseriouscrossbows,whosemainpurposewastoappeartobeonthepointofgoingoff.

           Theprincesssprangtoherfeetandlaunchedherselfatheruncle,butCutwellgrabbedher.

           ’No,’hesaid,quietly.Thisisn’tthekindofmanwhotiesyouupinacellarwithjustenoughtimeforthemicetoeatyourropesbeforetheflood-watersrise.Thisisthekindofmanwhojustkillsyouhereandnow.’

           Thedukebowed.

           ’Ithinkitcanbetrulysaidthatthegodshavespoken,’hesaid.’Clearlytheprincesswastragicallycrushedbytherogueelephant.Thepeoplewillbeupset.Iwillpersonallydecreeaweekofmourning.’

           ’Youcan’tdothat,alltheguestshaveseen–!’theprincessbegan,nearlyintears.

           Cutwellshookhishead.Hecouldseetheguardsmovingthroughthecrowdsofbewilderedguests.