Книги

The Mist and the Lightning. Part I

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Without looking at Orel Dim Al left "Backara" quickly.

Orel slowly leaned against the wall throwing back his head. He passed his trembling hands over his face, closed his eyes.

"Nik, Nik, Nik," he whispered barely audibly.

A company of idlers came out of the restaurant but got quiet when seeing him, pale, leaning against the wall.

"Are you unwell, sir?" one of the men asked cautiously.

"What?" Orel tossed his head back looking at him dumbly.

"Do you feel bad?"

Orel smiled.

"No… No!" he repeated loud and laughed adding. "I feel good!"

The company recoiled in horror and quickly left. Orel continued laughing.

"I feel good," he whispered, "oh how good I feel!"

He slowly slipped down against the wall, squeezed his head, still shivering. The clients of "Backara" tried to pass him as quickly as possible. At last he got up, smoothened his hair and walked in.

Orel came up to the table where his friends waited for him.

"I ordered dinner," Tol said.

"Fine," Orel nodded.

Enriki got up letting him in. Orel sat down in his place and looked at all of them. They were sitting around the table, in the order he"d chosen for them once. Enriki next to him – self-assured, dignified, clad more expensively than the others. His face was calm and beautiful, free of any scars or paint. His hair combed back showed his high forehead, his ears and fingers were decorated with gold. Then Lis – his long dark-red hair spilled over his shoulders. The stare of his piercing eyes was burning but with cold, not with heat.

Sitting in front of Lis, Bert Squint-Eye was dressed worse than the others. His jacket was old and worn out, its lacing torn and tied in knots carelessly. Squint-Eye"s hair was coal-black but there was something very attractive about him. Enticing, bewitchingly dark beauty only a well honed and lethally dangerous blade could have.

Then a bumpkin Tol, rough but incredibly charming.

And right in front of Orel – Nik, the only one in a tight back mask covering his face completely. Only his eyes glittered merrily through the slits, not covered with black glass tonight.

"What"s wrong with you, Arel?" Tol asked in surprise.