"Bujold, Lois McMaster - Chalion 3 - The Hallowed Hunt" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bujold Lois McMaster)

УApologies, Learned,Ф said Ingrey smoothly, Уbut will your most salutary lesson last long? I only inquire because the man must be fit to ride tomorrow.Ф
The blond woman turned to frown at him, her floating strands of hair seeming now to be trying to escape in all directions. УIs he yours?Ф
УNot precisely. But though I am not responsible for his behavior, I am responsible for his arrival.Ф
УOh. Well. I will doubtless restore him before I leave. Else the delusion will wear off on its own in a few hours. Meanwhile, the encouragement of others and all that. But I am in the greatest haste. There was a grand cortege that arrived in Red Dike tonight, of Prince Boleso who they say was murdered. Have you witnessed it? I seek its commander.Ф
Ingrey half bowed again. УYou have found him. Ingrey kin Wolf-cliff at your service and your godsТ, Learned.Ф
She stared at him for a long, disturbing moment. УIndeed you are,Ф she finally said. УWell. That young woman, Ijada dy Castos. Do you know what has become of her?Ф
УShe is in my charge.Ф
УIs she.Ф The stare sharpened. УWhere?Ф
УShe has chambers upstairs in this inn.Ф
The maidservant huffed in relief; the sorceress cast her a look of cheery triumph. УThird time is the charm,Ф murmured the sorceress. УDid I not say so?Ф
УThis town only has three inns,Ф the maidservant pointed out.
УAre you,Ф Ingrey added hopefully, Уsent by the Temple to take her into your hands?Ф And off mine?
УNotЕprecisely, no. But I must see her.Ф
Ingrey hesitated. УWhat is she to you?Ф Or you to her?
УAn old friend, if she remembers me. IТm Learned Hallana. I heard of her plight when the news of the prince came to my seminary in Suttleaf. That is, we heard of BolesoТs murder, and who had supposedly done the deed, and I presumed it for a plight.Ф Her stare at Ingrey did not grow less disconcerting. УWe were sure the cortege must come by this road, but I feared I would have to chase after it.Ф
The seminary of the MotherТs Order at Suttleaf, a town some twenty-five miles to the south of Red Dike, was well-known in the region for its training of physicians and other healing artisansЧthe dedicat who had stitched IngreyТs head last night had likely learned her craft there. Ingrey might have searched the surrounding three earldoms for a Temple sorcerer and never thought of looking at Suttleaf. Instead, she had found himЕ
Could she sense his wolf? A Temple sorcerer had inflicted it upon him; later, a Temple divine had helped him learn to bind it. Might this woman have been sentЧby whom or what, Ingrey did not wish to guessЧto help bind IjadaТs leopard? Incomprehensible as the sorceressТs presence here was, it seemed not to be a coincidence. The notion raised all the hackles of his neck and spine. On the whole, Ingrey thought he would prefer coincidence.
He drew a long breath. УI think Lady Ijada has few friends at present. She should be glad of you. May I escort you up to her, Learned?Ф
The woman favored him with a brief, approving nod. УYes, please, Lord Ingrey.Ф
He preceded the women into the passageway and indicated the stairs to the left. In the opposite direction, the be-pigged retainer was still down on the floor, shoving his head against the door and grunting.
УMy lord, what should we do with him?Ф asked his unnerved comrade.
Ingrey turned to observe the scene for a moment. УWatch over him. See he comes to no harm till his lesson passes off.Ф
The comrade glanced past Ingrey at the retreating sorceress and swallowed. УYes, my lord. UmЕanything else?Ф
УYou could feed him some bran mash.Ф
The sorceress, making her way up the stairs with hand to the rail and her maid close behind, glanced back at this, her lips twitching. She lumbered on upward, and Ingrey hastened after.
To his satisfaction, he found the door to Lady IjadaТs parlor locked. He rapped upon it.
УWho is there?Ф came her voice.
УIngrey.Ф
A slight pause. УAre you awake?Ф
He grimaced. УYes. You have a visitor.Ф
Puzzled silence for a moment, then the clink of the key in the lock and the scrape of the bar being withdrawn. The warden drew the door wide, blinking in astonishment as the sorceress and her maid swept within. Ingrey followed.
Lady Ijada, standing across the room, stared a moment in bafflement.
УIjada?Ф said the sorceress, sounding taken aback. УMy word, child, how tall youТve grown!Ф
Then IjadaТs face was swept by such joy as Ingrey had never yet seen illuminate it. УHallana!Ф she cried, and hurried forward.
The two women fell into each otherТs arms with feminine shrieks of recognition and pleasure. At length, Lady Ijada stood back with her hands upon the shorter womanТs shoulders. УHow ever did you come here?Ф
УThe news of your misadventure came to the MotherТs seminary at Suttleaf. I teach there now, you know. And then there were the dreams, of course.Ф
УAnd how came you thereЧyou must tell me everything that has happened with you sinceЧoh, Lord Ingrey.Ф Ijada turned to him, her face glowing. УThis is my friend I told you of. She was a medical missioner at my fatherТs fort on the west marches, and a student in the BastardТs Order as well, pursuing both her callingsЧlearning the fen folkТs wisdom songs, and treating what of their sicknesses she could, to draw them to the fort and our divineТs Quintarian preachings. When she was younger, of course. And meЧI was the most gangling awkward child. Hallana, I still donТt know why you let me tail around after you all day long, but I adored you for it.Ф
УWell, aside from my not being immune to worshipЧmakes me wonder about the gods, indeed it doesЧyou did make yourself quite useful. You were not afraid of the marsh, or the woods, or the animals, or the fen folk, or of getting thoroughly muddy and scratched or of being scolded for it.Ф
Ijada laughed. УI still remember how you and that dreadfully priggish divine used to argue theology over the meal trestlesЧLearned Oswin would grow so furious, he would positively stamp out afterward. I should have worried for his digestion, if I had been older and less self-absorbed. Poor skinny fellow.Ф
The sorceress smirked. УIt was good for him. Oswin was the most perfect servant of the Father, always so concerned for figuring out the exact rules and getting himself on the right side of them. Or them on the left side of him. It always stung him when I pointed that out.Ф
УOh, but look at youЧhere, you must sit downЧФ Lady Ijada and the maid Hergi joined forces briefly to find the best chair, pad it with cushions, and urge Learned Hallana into it. She sank down gratefully, blowing out her breath with a whoosh, and adjusted her belly in her lap. The maid scurried to prop her mistressТs feet on a stool. Lady Ijada pulled a chair to the table opposite her friend, and Ingrey retreated to the window seat, no great distance away in the tiny room, where he could watch both women. The warden hung back, cautious and respectful.
УYour double scholarship is a most unusual combination, Learned,Ф said Ingrey, nodding to the womanТs shoulder braids. Their pin was working loose again, and they hung precariously on their perch.
УOh, yes. It came about by accident, if accident it was.Ф She shrugged, dislodging the braids; her maid sighed and wordlessly retrieved and reinstalled them. УI had started out to be a physician, like my mother and grandmother before me. My apprenticeship was quite complete, and I had begun to practice at the Temple hospital in Helmharbor. There I was called to attend upon a dying sorcerer.Ф She paused and glanced shrewdly at Ingrey. УWhat do you know about how Temple sorcerers are made, Lord Ingrey? Or illicit sorcerers, for that matter?Ф
His brows rose. УA person comes into possession of a demon of disorder, which has somehow escaped from the grip of the Bastard into the world of matter. The sorcerer takes it into his soulЧor hers,Ф he added hastily. УAnd nourishes it there. In return, the demon lends its powers. The acquisition of a demon makes one a sorcerer much as the acquisition of a horse makes one a rider, or so I was taught.Ф
УVery correct.Ф Hallana nodded approval. УIt does not, of course, necessarily make one a good rider. That must be learned. Well. What is less well known, is that Temple sorcerers sometimes bequeath their demons to their Order, to be passed along to the next generation, with all that they have learned. Since, when a sorcerer dies, if sheЧor heЧdoes not bear the demon back to the gods, it will jump away to the next living thing nearby that may sustain it in the world of matter. It is not a good thing to lose a powerful demon into a stray dog. DonТt smile, it has happened. But done properly, a trained demon may be directed into oneТs chosen successor without ripping oneТs soul to pieces in the process.Ф
Ijada leaned forward to listen, her hands clasped in fascination. УYou know, I never thought to ask you how you came to be what you were. I just took you for granted.Ф
УYou were ten. All the world is an equal mystery then.Ф She shifted in her chair, not without difficulty, evidently seeking a more comfortable position. УThe BastardТs Order in Helmharbor had groomed this divine, a very scholarly young fellow, to receive his mentorТs powers. All seemed to go as planned. The old sorcererЧmy word, but he was a frail thing by thenЧbreathed his last quite peacefully, all things considered. His successor held his hand and prayed. And the stupid demon jumped right over him and into me. No one was expecting it, least of all that lofty young divine. He was livid. I was distraught. How could I practice the healing arts when plagued with a demon of disorder itself? I tried for some time to be rid of itЧeven made pilgrimage to a saint reputed to have the BastardТs own power over His strayed elementals.Ф
УIn Darthaca?Ф inquired Ingrey.
Her brows rose. УHow did you know?Ф
УFortunate guess.Ф