"Duncan, Dave - A Man Of His Word 03 - Perilous Seas" - читать интересную книгу автора (Duncan Dave)

worthwhile timber soon vanished into cooking fires-but too far from a spring to
be a prime location; more private than most.
In a few minutes Rap came wandering out, pulling on a shirt. He was still
comically modest about clothing, considering the complete absence of privacy in
a sailor's working life, but a good lad, steady beyond his years. In appearance
he was pretty much straight faun, except for his hair and his size, and he had a
faun's disinclination to conform to social pressures. Like being cleanshaven,
for instance. He was the only man on Stormdancer not trying to grow a floorbrush
mustache like Gathmor's. He was also the only man in Durthing who wore long
pants all the time.
"One of them's likely Petrel. She's due. Don't know the other."
Ships arriving were always of interest, but the juvenile forest around Rap's
cabin blocked a clear view of the harbor. He, of course, could see through
anything, but either the ships were still out of his range or he just didn't
care much. He sat down again and stared at the flickering flames in silence.
The swift tropical dark was settling in all around, and the birdcalls were
fading away. Bright smoke and sparks and crackling fire ... oversexed crickets
racketing already ... It was a pleasant night.
As Ogi cut off the fish heads, he tossed them over his shoulder for dogs or
gnomes to find. Likewise, when he slit the bellies, he scraped out the guts on
the dirt behind him. Quite likely there would be a gnome child or two hovering
nearby already, drawn by the fire.
"Something wrong?" Ogi asked.
Rap had been staring fixedly at the flames. He smiled faintly and shrugged.
"Nothing you can help with."
"Please yourself. But if you want to talk it out to a friend, I'm available. And
despite what you may have been told ever since you were weaned, some imps can
keep secrets."
That brought the little smile again, briefly, and Ogi realized that the wide
faun mouth almost never smiled more than that. "It's just that I'm not finding
it easy settling down here." Yes, that was very odd.
"Durthing's not perfect," Ogi said loyally, "but there's nowhere much better.
You've gotten yourself a pretty fair house there for just the cost of a few
days' work, and there's a very wide selection of girls. I know of lots who'd be
willing to help you fill it with babies."
Rap shuddered.
"You get used to the little pests," Ogi said complacently. Uala had two now and
another on the way already. Perhaps twins, the way she was bulging. "At times
they're quite lovable. Don't quote me."
Rap went back to staring at flames.
There was a mystery even about the way the kid had gotten to Faerie in the first
place, and it probably involved magic. Ogi was enough of a sailor to dislike
talking about that. Still, it was curious.
Ogi often wondered whether that was just another of his odd ideas about
propriety, or if he was touchy about his faun legs. There were a lot of things
about him that puzzled Ogi. Already the fire was crackling nicely. Ogi began
peeling onions. Rap settled on the next boulder, wiping his forehead again.
"Working too hard! Meant to go for a swim." He hefted the wine jar an tilted his
head for a long, hard swig-which was a pleasant surprise to the imp. Maybe
getting him drunk tonight wouldn't be the swine of a job they'd expected.