Ойкумена / Oikumena: Глава 12

Chapter 12. "Faces of death"

Camrad_RIP 04.06.23 в 06:51

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Camrad_RIP 04.06.23 в 06:51

"Is that him?" clarified Santelli, hiding an attentive look in his beer mug.

Camrad_RIP 04.06.23 в 06:52

"Yes," confirmed Kai, also diligently looking away.

Camrad_RIP 04.06.23 в 06:52

The subject of their conversation, who had forced the two "tarred men" to cross the Gate from end to end, from the most respectable pub to the most unrepresentative one, was sitting in the far corner, chewing leisurely on a piece of millet, stale even by the look of it. He was an older man, but he did not give the impression of being decrepit, to whom children casually asked what their father preferred, the grave or the fire. He was dressed decently, not poorly, but not provocatively, more in the East fashion, that is, in pants and an unbuttoned cross-shaped cape with a notch for the head over a loose wool shirt-no fancy dress, short jackets, butt stockings, or any other perversion of the South-West.

Camrad_RIP 04.06.23 в 06:58

Pretending to drop and try to find a small trinket, Santelie peeked under the table and assessed the stranger's shoes - high boots with lapels, worn but still sturdy. They were the kind worn in the brigades, only shorter, often with a slit in the back, so you could unfasten the lace-up in one motion and throw it off, freeing your foot from the trap...

Camrad_RIP 04.06.23 в 06:59

His gray hair was combed back smoothly, like a noble's, but it was cut shorter than usual and uneven as if the man had cut it himself by cutting off strands with a knife. A luxurious, ash-colored mustache curved around his mouth, descending to the very edge of his lower jaw. His eyebrows were pitch-black and even as if they had been drawn with a ruler. But the look... Yes, the look of a fighter sure of himself. There was a quiet confidence and a sense of superiority in the gray-haired man's gaze. But he had none of the coolness, the brash impudence of young bullies in search of glory, who had not yet learned that death was age-neutral, taking the old and the young with equal ease.

Camrad_RIP 04.06.23 в 07:04

We must assume that the man was popular with the ladies. He just couldn't help it. Santelli thought he might have been attracted to the wanderer himself if he had been at least twenty years younger.

Camrad_RIP 04.06.23 в 07:05

He put his half-handed saber without any ornaments, with a simple guard and a single side hook - unusually long, reaching to his ring finger - openly on the table. The blade was extended out of its sheath by four fingers, just enough to show - the wanderer was not looking for adventure and strife but wished to remain alone. But far more interesting was what was left in the shadows, that is, unnoticed, leaning against the leg of the slanting table. And there stood a one-handed "saddle hammer" on a wooden handle with two sides "whiskers" along its entire length.

Camrad_RIP 04.06.23 в 07:08

It was the kind of hammer Santeli had long seen - a faceted beak, sharpened like a chisel, a simple hammer with no seals or teeth and, most unusual, no tip. Usually, all claws had a point or, at the very least, a handle that protruded from the eyelet into the palm. So you could poke and prod if the fight was chest-to-chest and you couldn't get a swing. But here, the whole upper part, from the edge of the beak to the striking part of the hammer, curved in one smooth arc.

Camrad_RIP 04.06.23 в 07:11

As befits a well-conceived and well-made item, the hammer was, so to speak, thought-provoking. Especially the frequent notches, arranged very characteristically as if the weapon was used not so much to hit as to expose it to numerous blows.

Camrad_RIP 04.06.23 в 07:12

"Look at the laces," Kai said in a low voice.

Camrad_RIP 04.06.23 в 07:30

Santelli had indeed missed them, mistaking them for part of a foreign costume. Black twisted cords passed through special loops under the elbows and at the shoulders, and they were knotted cunningly and loosely, with the ends hanging down.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:20

"It's the same on his legs," the swordsman said. "Above the knees."

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:20

Santelli nodded, taking note. After a moment of silence, he thought aloud with obvious doubt:

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:21

"It can't be. Two of them at once and on the same day?"

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:22

"Pantocrator measures generously to the worthy and pious," Kai quoted. "There isn't much to choose from, no matter how you look at it."

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:22

"Laces, saber, clave..." stretched out Santelli, still hesitant, but there was a poorly concealed hope in his voice.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:23

"Yes," concluded Kai. "We have to risk it."

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:23

Santelli exhaled and finished his beer, literally pouring the contents of the mug down his throat.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:24

"We have to," he said, winding himself up before the responsible case.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:25

"I can try," suggested Kai diplomatically.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:29

In the meantime, the visiting fighter had finished his crust and was looking like a man in no hurry to go anywhere, smoothing his mustache. He attracted the attention of the drinkers but nothing more. They'd seen far more outlandish guests in the Wastelands, and his saber and determined demeanor deterred troublemakers as well as the most honest folk who now had the truest treasure map, the most cherished artifact cache tip, or at least a bar of real gold for a mere third of the price.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:32

Santelli twitched his cheek and, without answering his companion, stood up, heading toward the stranger's table. He skipped a step on the way, passing one girl maid so he wouldn't run into a tray full of empty mugs. With an easy half-turn, he sidestepped a drunkard falling out of his chair, who banged his head loudly against the wet planks behind the foreman's back. He stepped over the regular, who was lying down comfortably in the aisle between the tables, wrapped in a leaky cloak, for he had no other clothes on - all gone down. It looked like today was going to be a busy day for the tavern; beer and diluted wine poured out literally in buckets, despite the early hour. Although the sun had long ago risen, it was half dark inside, and the oil lamps were burning.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 12:03

"May I?" asked Santelli politely, stopping beside the table so the distance could not be called threatening. The brigadier was almost sure that he could not attack suddenly, even if he wanted to, and the alien was well aware of that, but a show of politeness is never superfluous.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 12:02

"I'm not looking for company," the man said neutrally, and the soft accent confirmed his background. Wherever the fighter was born, he'd spent most of his life in the City or at least the surrounding area. The answer sounded as polite as the question but quite unambiguous. To continue was to invite a rude rebuke or challenge, but nevertheless, Santelli took his chances.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:33

"I see," the foreman said and sat down across from him without invitation. A dark eyebrow shifted and crept upward, reflecting a certain bewilderment. The gray-haired man didn't even glance toward his sword, but the muscles under his shirt trembled slightly, and Santelie could feel the stranger's loosely lowered left hand, hidden by the edge of the table, touching the handle of the hammer.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:34

"I apologize for my intrusiveness," the brigadier had a hard time with the " pompous" speech because he hadn't used to ceremonial, and it was all too reminiscent of the past. So Santelli spoke slowly, choosing each word.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:35

"But I have a matter that cannot wait. An important matter that I would like to discuss with you."

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:36

"I only came here today, after dark, and I've never been in these parts before," the stranger seems already to have grasped the clave with his whole palm. "I have no friends or business here, much less any delay."

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:43

He spoke quickly and very clearly, like a man accustomed to a purely urban culture. And with that familiar, unconscious restraint that comes from years of living in an environment where any word can be followed by a challenge. If Santelli still doubted the nature of his interlocutor's occupation, he would now cast aside all doubts.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:44

"I understand what you're saying," the foreman pointedly placed his palms on the tabletop, showing that he wasn't preparing a sneak attack. All the pride and self-esteem of the Proffitt hunter protested against this, but Santelie was clearly aware that his insistence was an outright accusation, and the reaction of his companion might be entirely unpredictable. The less of a threat the gray-haired man saw, the better.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:45

"Give me literally a few minutes of your time," the foreman offered as calmly and persuasively as possible. "And if you don't find my words worthy of consideration, I'll leave you."

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 09:45

At the last moment, Santelli refrained from completing "and order you some wine. This could have been taken as an outright insult, a hint of the stranger's plight. All the more insulting because the hint would not seem far from the truth. Now, sitting close to him, face to face, Santelli could see that the gray-haired man's eyelids were puffed up by days of fatigue. The travel bag on the bench, at his right side, was unfortunately thin and certainly not burdened with rich luggage. And most important of all, the smell. The stranger's clothes were dusty and hadn't been cleaned in days, which meant he hadn't washed yet from the road. But Santeli did not smell the distinctive scent of horse sweat. So, the man came on foot. And if a fighter does not have a horse, it means either he is a bad fighter or, for some reason, he is in great need.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 11:39

"You don't seem to have a watch..." After a short pause, the gray-haired man responded, a little friendlier, just a little. "And I doubt there are any in this whole... town."

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 11:41

"But I know what a 'minute' is," Santelli smiled miserably.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 11:41

"Yeah, apparently, we've both known better days," the gray-haired man returned the same restrained smile. He seemed interested in the conversation.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 11:42

"Yeah," the foreman remarked neutrally. He was silent for a while and decided not to pull the taguar by the tongue but to cut it off.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 11:43

"A thousand pardons if my question seems inappropriate, but... let me guess the nature of your occupation..."

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 11:49

"You've already guessed right," the gray-haired man cut him off sharply. "So is your companion, who stands against that wall and pretends not to look at me from behind his mug. He is clearly accustomed to the weight of a knight's spear and ramming."

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 11:50

"Uh-uh..." For the first time in a very long time, Santelli was confused and hesitant to answer.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 11:50

"But I'm not looking for work here," the fighter continued sternly. "I have no desire to kill alive people again."

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 11:51

Santelli raised his eyes to the mountain and thought that Pantocrator himself must be helping him, first by pointing to the stranger through Kai and now by taking the conversation in the most desirable direction. The occasional reservation made it possible to get straight to the point.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 11:52

"I see," the foreman shook his head and paused. For the first time, he caught something in the gray-haired man's impenetrable gaze that looked like a spark of interest. "And what would you say about dead people?"

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 11:53

There was silence. The brether - and this was definitely a brether, a real, metropolitan school, an ambidextrous fencer - stared intently at the brigadier. At last, his left hand trembled, and Santelli clenched his jaws mechanically, ready to parry the blow. Well, or at least to try. The gray-haired man drew an empty, unarmed palm from under the table, rested his elbows on the dark planks, and smoothed his mustache again, this time both at once.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 11:55

"Charley. Maitre Charley," he introduced himself grudgingly without offering his hand. Just indicating that he was ready to listen for now.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 11:56

"Santelli. My throat was a little dry. I must admit," the brigadier wasn't in the least bit wry, the usual Wasteland negotiations requiring simple politeness but without all the verbal acrobatics. "While I'm talking, would you be so kind as to share a pitcher of beer with me? And perhaps something to chew on, just so the beer doesn't go down your throat?"

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 11:57

Brether bowed his head in silence, his curiosity evidently fighting his general reluctance to get involved in anything he did not understand. Still, he listened to the foreman.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 11:58

"And here's the thing..." began Santelli, lowering his voice and leaning toward the maitre.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 11:59

Kai relaxed a little and furtively exhaled. Being a good warrior, he could see that the gray-haired man was an excellent fighter. And very skilled, too, judging by the proper knots on his sleeves, which few people knew how to tie properly these days. If it came to a fight, even the two of them, Santelli and Kai, would have a hard time standing up to the brether. Not because they were inferior. It was just that here, without armor, in the cramped confines of the tavern scene, the maestro was in his element, accustomed to the swift carnage of the city streets, by torchlight or in the dense shadows of the alleys.

Camrad_RIP 07.06.23 в 12:00