Autumn 1659 William Tanner held his last playing card firmly between thumb and finger. His eyes narrowed as he stared at it accusingly, blaming it for all the misfortune that had befallen him. John Freeman watched him, forcing himself to keep a straight face. William was a poor loser at the best of times, but tonight his luck was worse than usual. Ценность книги определяется не тем, сколько человек её прочтёт. У величайших книг мало читателей, потому что их чтение требует усилия. Но именно из-за этого усилия…