The Last Ring-bearer - Kirill Yeskov [104]
"Nor does it say the opposite. What's not forbidden is permitted."
"Yes, sir, strictly speaking that's true." Tangorn deduced from the fact that a mere warden was addressing the heir to the throne of Gondor simply as 'sir,' rather than 'Your Highness,' that the prince's fortunes were in real bad shape. "But that's an obvious oversight! After all, I have a responsibility… in time of war… Motherland's safety…" The official perked up a bit, having found something to fall back on at last. "In other words, I can't permit this without a written approval."
"Certainly we must not blindly follow the letter of our instructions in those trying times – we must confirm it with our patriotic sense… You're a patriot, as I can see, right?"
"Yes, sir… I mean Your Highness! I'm glad you understand my motivation…"
"Now listen closely, you prison rat," the prince continued in the same tone of voice. "Pay attention to my mandate, paragraph four. Not only can I accept serfs, criminals, and such as volunteers; I can draft, in the name of the King, the officials of all military-related institutions, of which yours is one. So: I will leave here either with those two, or with you, and – by the arrows of Oromë! – there, beyond Osgiliath, you'll have plenty of opportunities to prove your patriotism! Which is it going to be?"
They embraced only when the prison walls were far behind. Tangorn remembered that moment forever: he stood in the middle of the dark street, leaning on the prince's shoulder in sudden weakness; his eyes were closed and face turned up, and cold night fog, imbued with city smoke, was settling on it… Life and freedom – what else does a man really need? Faramir led them to the harbor through muddy dark streets of Pelargir without delay.
"Dammit, guys, why did you violate my order to stay put in Umbar? And what's the story with your recall here?"
"We haven't received that order. As for the recall, we expected you'd explain it to us as a member of the Royal Council."
"I'm not on it any more. The Royal Council doesn't need defeatists."
"So that's how it is… And this regiment of yours – did you invent it just to get us out?"
"Well… let's say – not just for that."
"That's really sticking your neck out."
"Whatever. I'm in a wonderful position right now – they can neither exile me any further than the front lines nor give me less than a battalion – so I'm milking it for all it's worth." At the harbor they located a small ship. Two unusual-looking soldiers bundled in camouflage cloaks were snoozing right on the pier nearby. They greeted Faramir in a decidedly not-by-the-book manner, looked the two spies over appraisingly and started getting the ship under way – quite competently, as far as Tangorn could tell. "Leaving before dawn, Prince?" "You know, that there's no caveat about traitors in that order is indeed an oversight; you want to stay to see how long it will take them to figure it out?"
Faramir was prophetic – the very next morning a courier brought 'Amendment No. 1 to the Royal Decree 3014-227: No extension of amnesty for the criminals wishing to defend the Motherland to those guilty of crimes against the state' to Pelargir. By that time the prince's ship was halfway to the port of Harlond, where the Ithilien regiment was forming. They would not have been safe there, either, but when the policemen with an arrest warrant showed up in the Ithilienians' camp, it turned out that the wanted men had just left – what a pity, less than an hour ago! – for the other shore of Anduin as part of a scouting party. Yes, the raid will be long – a month, maybe more; no, the party is working independently with no communications; if you wish, you can go beyond Osgiliath yourselves and look