"doyle, deborah - mcdonald, james d - circle of magic 04 - danger in the palace" - читать интересную книгу автора (Doyle Debra)

Occitanian, thus exhausting his entire stock of the
language.
The well-dressed stranger gestured at Randal
to rise and said something in a clear, pleasant voice.
Randal looked around to Lys for a translation.
The Occitanian girl swung down from the rim of the
fountain onto the pavement. Randal saw that her eyes
were dancing. "Come on, Randy," she said. "We're
going with this gentleman. He wants us to play at the
palace."
"The palace?" Randal said in amazement as they
fell in behind the stranger. "I knew we were good, but
I didn't think we were that good"
"Here in Occitania," said Lys, "every city
is its own country-and the lords of the city-states are
rich and powerful. Just take what you can and smile.
At the very least we can expect a good meal, and
maybe even new clothes, when we play for His
Grace"
Randal nodded, still uncertain whether the sum
mons was for good or ill. Lys, though, seemed to have
no doubts at all; she was smiling as they followed
the stranger away from the marketplace. The red-headed
man led them through the town and uphill along wide
streets, through ranks of tall stone houses. At the
top of the hill they came to a huge marble
building-actually a collection of buildings joined
together by walls and set in the midst of green lawns and
sweet-smelling gardens.
Randal and Lys followed their guide onward through a
maze of corridors, cloisters, enclosed gardens,
and winding stairways. Everywhere they looked, they saw
luxury. Frescoes covered the walls and the
ceiling; dark and light woods made patterns on
the polished floor underfoot; and bronze and marble
statues filled the corners along the way.
This has to be the palace,
thought Randal, feeling shabby and insignificant in his
mud-stained robe.
No one but a prince would live in such
magnificence.
At last the three of them came to a small room
where another man waited. The two strangers spoke
together, and then the red-headed man said something to Randal.
"He wants you to go with him;" Lys translated.
"I'm supposed to stay here"
"Do I have any choice?" Randal asked.
"No;" said Lys. "He's the Prince's
messenger you'd better go with him:"
Randal followed the red-headed man down another