The Mist and the Lightning. Part 17 - стр. 2

“So. Friends? What is it?! Who allowed you to sit down?!”

And everyone, except those sitting, laughed. Parky and the unclean ones jumped up and darted away from Kors. And he turned to Nikto:

“Nik, sit down!”

And he froze in some confusion. Prince Arel, without invitation, immediately sat down on the sofa, in his hands was already a gold goblet.

“Although, wait!” Kors looked around. “Parky! Bring that chair over there!”

Parky immediately obeyed the order, dragging a carved gilded chair that looked more like a throne to Kors.

“Sit down,” said Kors, and everyone looked at Nikto, and he, as always, blushed and was embarrassed by such close attention and by the fact that Kors had singled him out so.

“Vitor, stop it,” he said quietly.

“Sit down. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be here! Someone disagree with me?”

And Nikto’s cheeks turned red even more, since the stripes of soot on them slightly hid it.

“Sit down!”

Nikto sat down. Zaf chuckled and ate another candied fruit.

“I know now who Lis’ father is,” said Kors as if nothing had happened, not paying any attention to the embarrassed look of Nikto, tense Parky and the slightly mocking look of Zaf.

“Did you know him?” Zaf was surprised.

“No. But I fought against him, he was in his time a very… hmmm… tough commander. To enter into confrontation with him was already tantamount to defeat.”

“And you entered?”

“Yes,” said Kors briefly, without details.

“He defeated you?”

Kors froze, and then, shaking his head, replied:

“Yes.”

“It's a pity,” said Zaf, and Kors was surprised to feel that Zaf was sincere and he was really sorry, and Kors’ honesty, the fact that he admitted his defeat, didn’t push him away. Previously, Kors would never have admitted his failure so simply and without explanation, fearing that they would not understand him and turn away from him. And now – now he boldly spoke about his failures and didn’t feel weaker from this. And he didn’t feel that the unclean ones were disappointed in him, they took it somehow absolutely calmly. Kors’ noble black associates would immediately have made bewildered faces in response to such a frank confession. Such sincerity was not accepted in their circles, everyone spoke only about their achievements. Kors felt easy and merry:

“Igmer’s army squeezed us in pincers near Vlas, I gave the order to retreat and tried to lead the people through the swamps. Knee-deep in water, we tried for several days to get out of the encirclement, but still managed to escape from the cauldron.”

“You led the soldiers out of the lethal cauldron?” Asked Zaf, his face was very serious.

“Yes. More than a thousand soldiers, but we lost Vlas.”

“Sometimes it is more right to retreat,” noted Zaf.

“Tell that to Lis,” Kors chuckled with some bitterness, “or he’s Sigmer now. Stop! How did I not immediately guess who his father was! His father’s name is Igmer, and he is his son. Igmer’s son – Sigmer! How simple it is!”

And everyone looked at Kors so that he was even embarrassed a little of their looks, just like Nick was before.

“Well, it's just…”

“Vitor, you are very smart,” said Nikto. He sat in the chair, as Kors had seated him, and also looked at Kors with respect. And Zaf handed Kors a glass of wine:

“Let's have a drink,” he suggested. “And I want to relax already, finally. There are such plump women here, have you noticed? I want to hush up some plump maid!”