"Anthony Piers - Incarnations Of Immortality 6 - For Love Of Evil" - читать интересную книгу автора (Anthony Piers)

PARRY

There was a knock at the door, so hesitant as to be almost
inaudible. Parry opened it.

A giri stood without, huddled and childlike. Her flowing
honey hair was bound back from her face by a fillet: a narrow
band of cloth that circled her bare head. Her frightened eyes
seemed enormous, me irises gray-green. "I am Jolie," she
whispered, her hands making a tentative gesture toward her
bosom.

She had come! Suddenly Parry's mouth felt dry. He had
known she would, yet doubted. He had wanted her to, yet
been afraid. Now the test was upon him.

"Please come in," he said, his voice sounding considerably
more assured than he felt.

She gazed at him. Her face crumpled. "Oh, please, my lord,
please let me go! I never did you harm, or even spoke ill of
you! I never meant to give offense, and if I have, I apologize
most abjectly! Please, please do not enchant me!" She put her
face in her hands, sobbing.

Parry was taken aback. "I am not going to enchant you,
Jolie!" he protested. "I have no grievance against you."

Pwvs Assthoisy

Those marvelous eyes peeked from between her fingers.
"No?"

"None. I know you have done me no harm. I want only
toЧ" He found no appropriate word. "If you will come in,
I will explain."

Her tears ceased, but not her fright. "The Sorcerer said I
would not be hurt," she said somewhat defiantly.

"My tamer spoke truly," Parry said. "I mean only to talk
with you. Please come in; it is warm inside."

She hesitated. A gust of wind tugged at her garment, and
she shivered. It was evidently her best dress, but it was some-
what soiled linen, given shape only by the cord at her waist.
It was inadequate protection against the chill of me fall evening.
"You order me, lorel?"

Parry grimaced. "I am no lord, Jolie. I am the Sorcerer's