"Bujold, Lois McMaster - Chalion 2 - Paladin of Souls" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bujold Lois McMaster)

The old ProvincaraТs high table was set exactly as it had been a thousandЧten thousandЧtimes before, on days when no festival brought relief from the monotony. Granted it was comfortable, in the small dining chamber of the newest building within the castle walls, with fireplace and glazed windows. The same small company, too. Lady dy Hueltar, who was IstaТs motherТs aging relative and longtime companion, Ista, her principal lady attendants, solemn dy Ferrej. By tacit agreement, the old ProvincaraТs chair still stood empty. Ista had not moved to claim the central seat, and perhaps in some misplaced notion of her grief, none had urged her to.
Dy Ferrej arrived, escorting Ferda and Foix, both looking very courtly. And young. The courier girl entered in their wake and made polite bows. She had faced Royina Ista bravely enough alone, but the atmosphere of staid age here was enough to melt the sinews of strong soldiers. She took her seat stiffly and sat as if trying to make herself smaller, though she eyed the two brothers with interest. The aroma of horses was much fainter now, although Lady dy Hueltar wrinkled her nose. But one more place settingЧnot the old ProvincaraТsЧstill stood empty across from Ista.
УDo we expect a guest?Ф Ista inquired of dy Ferrej. One of the elderly peopleТs elderly friends, perhaps, Ista dared not hope for anything more exotic.
Dy Ferrej cleared his throat and nodded at old Lady dy Hueltar.
Her seamed face smiled. УI asked the Temple of Valenda to send us a suitable divine to be your spiritual conductor upon your pilgrimage, Royina. If we are not to send to Cardegoss for a court-trained scholar, I thought we might request Learned Tovia, of the MotherТs Order. She may be a lesser theologian, but she is a most excellent physician, and knows you of old. Such a relief to have someone familiar, should we be taken with any female complaints upon the road, or or if your old troubles should flare up. And none could possibly be more proper to your sex and status.Ф
A relief to whom? Divine Tovia had been a bosom friend to the old Provincara and to Lady dy Hueltar; Ista could quite imagine the trio enjoying a gentle jaunt in the spring sunshine together. Five gods, had Lady dy Hueltar assumed she would be going along also? Ista suppressed an unworthy desire to scream, just like Liss in fear of being cocooned in her endless skeins of wool.
УI knew you would be pleased,Ф Lady dy Hueltar murmured on. УI thought you might wish to begin discussing your holy itinerary with her over dinner.Ф She frowned. УItТs not like her to be late.Ф
Her frown vanished, as a servant entered and said, УThe divine is here, my lady.Ф
УOh, good. Show her in at once.Ф
The servant opened his mouth as if to speak, but then bowed and retreated.
The door swung wide again. A puffing figure of totally unexpected familiarity entered, and stopped, stranded upon a wall of stares. It was the fat young divine of the Bastard that Ista had met upon the road those two weeks or so ago. His white robes were only somewhat cleaner now, being free of loose detritus, but mottled with permanent faint stains about the hem and front.
His beginning smile grew uncertain. УGood evening, gentle ladies and my lords. I was told to attend here upon a certain Lady dy Hueltar. Something about a divine being wanted for a pilgrimage . . . ?Ф
Lady dy Hueltar recovered her voice. УI am she. But I had understood the temple was sending the MotherТs physician, Divine Tovia. Who are you?Ф
That had almost come out Who are you? Ista felt, but for Lady dy HueltarТs grip on good address.
УOh . . .Ф He bobbed a bow. УLearned Chivar dy Cabon, at your service.Ф
He claimed a name of some rank, at least. He eyed Ista and Ser dy Ferrej; the recognition, Ista thought, ran two ways, as did the surprise.
УWhere is Learned Tovia?Ф asked Lady dy Hueltar blankly.
УI believe she has ridden out upon a medical call of some special difficulty, at some distance from Valenda.Ф His smile grew less certain still.
УWelcome, Learned dy Cabon,Ф said Ista pointedly.
Dy Ferrej woke to his duties. УIndeed. IТm the castle warder, dy Ferrej; this is the Dowager Royina Ista . . .Ф
Dy CabonТs eyes narrowed, and he stared sharply at Ista. УAre you, now . . .Ф he breathed.
Dy Ferrej, ignoring or not hearing this, introduced the dy Gura brothers and the other ladies in order of rank, and lastly, and a bit reluctantly, УLiss, a chancellery courier.Ф
Dy Cabon bowed to all with indiscriminate good cheer.
УThis is all wrongЧthere must be some mistake, Learned dy Cabon,Ф Lady dy Hueltar went on, with a beseeching sideways glance at Ista. УIt is the dowager royina herself who proposes to undertake a pilgrimage this season, in petition of the gods for a grandson. You are notЧthis is notЧwe do not knowЧis a divine of the BastardТs Order, and a man at that, quite the most appropriate, um, person, um . . .Ф She trailed off in mute appeal for someone, anyone, to extract her from this quagmire.
Somewhere inside, Ista was beginning to smile.
She said smoothly, УMistake or no, I feel certain that our dinner is ready to be served. Will you please grace our table this evening with your scholarship, Learned, and lead us in the mealТs invocation to the gods?Ф
He brightened vastly. УI should be most honored, Royina.Ф
Smiling and blinking, he seated himself in the chair Ista indicated and looked hopeful as the servant passed among them with the basin of lavender-scented water for washing hands. He blessed the impending meal in unexceptionable terms and a good voice; whatever he was, he was no country rustic. He tucked into the courses presented with an enthusiasm that would have warmed the ProvincaraТs cookТs heart, could he have witnessed it, discouraged as he was by his long thrall to elderly, indifferent appetites. Foix kept pace with him with no apparent effort.
УAre you of those Cabons related to the present Holy General dy Yarrin of the DaughterТs Order?Ф Lady dy Hueltar inquired politely.
УI believe I am some sort of third or fourth cousin to him, lady,Ф the divine replied after swallowing his bite. УMy father was Ser Odlin dy Cabon.Ф
Both dy Gura brothers stirred with interest.
УOh,Ф said Ista in surprise. УI believe I met him, years ago, at court in Cardegoss.Ф Our Fat Cabon, as he was jovially dubbed by the roya; but heТd died as bravely as any thinner gentleman of the royaТs service at the disastrous battle of Dalus. She added after a moment, УYou have the look of him.Ф
The divine ducked his head in apparent pleasure. УI am not sorry for it.Ф
Some impulse of mischief prompted Ista to ask, because it was certain no one else present would, УAnd are you also a son of Lady dy Cabon?Ф
The divineТs eye glinted in response over a forkful of roast. УAlas, no. But my father took some joy in me nonetheless, and settled a dower upon me at the Temple when I came of the age for schooling. For which IЧeventuallyЧcame to thank him very much. My calling did not come upon me as a lightning bolt, to be sure, but slowly, as a tree grows.Ф Dy CabonТs round face and divineТs robes made him look older than he was, Ista decided. He could not be above thirty, perhaps much less.
For the first time in a long while, the conversation turned not on various peopleТs illnesses, aches, pains, and digestive failures, but widened to the whole of Chalion-Ibra. The dy Gura brothers had considerable witness to report of last yearТs successful campaign by the Marshal dy Palliar to retake the mountain fortress of Gotorget, commanding the border of the hostile Roknari princedoms to the north, and young Royse-Consort BergonТs seasoning attendance there upon the field of battle.
Ferda said, УFoix here took a bad knock from a Roknari war hammer during the final assault on the fortress, and was much abed this winterЧa mess of broken ribs, with inflammation of the lungs to follow. Chancellor dy Cazaril took him up as a clerk while his bones finished knitting. Our cousin dy Palliar thought a little light riding would help him regain his condition.Ф
A faint blush colored FoixТs broad face, and he ducked his head. LissТs gaze at him sharpened a trifle, though whether imagining him with sword or with pen in hand Ista could not tell.
Lady dy Hueltar did not fail to register her usual criticism of Royina Iselle for riding to the north to be near her husband and these stirring events, even thoughЧor perhaps that was, becauseЧshe had been brought safely to bed of a girl thereafter.
УI do not think,Ф said Ista dryly, Уthat Iselle staying slugabed in Cardegoss would have resulted in a boy, however.Ф
Lady dy Hueltar mumbled something; Ista was reminded of her own motherТs sharp critique when she had borne Iselle to Ias, those long years ago. As if anything she might have done would have made it come out any differently. As if, when it had come out differently in her second confinement, it was any better . . . her brow wrinkled in old pain. She looked up to intersect dy CabonТs sharp glance.
The divine swiftly turned the subject to lighter matters. Dy Ferrej had the pleasure of trotting out an old tale or two for a new audience, which Ista could not begrudge him. Dy Cabon told a warm joke, albeit milder than many Ista had heard over the royaТs table; the courier girl laughed aloud, caught a frown from Lady dy Hueltar, and held a hand over her mouth.
УPlease donТt stop,Ф said Ista to her. УNo one has laughed like that in this household for weeks. Months.Ф Years.
What might her pilgrimage be like if, instead of dragging a lot of tired guardians out on a road that suited their old bones so ill, she could travel with people who laughed! Young people, not brought low by old sin and loss? People who bounced? People to whom, dare she think it, she was an elder to be respected and not a failed child to be corrected? At your command, Royina, not, Now, Lady Ista, you know you canТt . . .
She said abruptly, УLearned dy Cabon, I thank the Temple for taking thought for me, and I shall be pleased to have your spiritual guidance upon my journey.Ф
УYou honor me, Royina.Ф Dy Cabon, sitting, bowed as deeply as he could over his belly. УWhen do we leave?Ф
УTomorrow,Ф said Ista.
A chorus of objection rose around the table: lists of persons and support not assembled, ladies-in-waiting, their maids, their grooms, of clothing, gear, of transport animals, of dy BaociaТs small army not yet arrived.
She almost added weakly, Or as soon as all can be arranged, but then stiffened her resolve. Her eye fell on Liss, chewing and listening with detached fascination.
УYou are all correct,Ф Ista raised her voice to override the babble, which died in relief. She went on, УI do not have youth, or energy, or courage, or knowledge of how to make my way upon the road. So I shall commandeer some. I shall take the courier, Liss, to be my lady-in-waiting and my groom in one. And none more. That shall save three dozen mules right there.Ф