"Sorcerer's Son" - читать интересную книгу автора (Phyllis Eisenstein)

Softly, he said, тАЬIs that your choice, my lady?тАЭ

тАЬI have no need of human companionship. I have my plants, my pets.тАЭ She gazed about her garden, stretched to pluck a rose from the trellis; carefully, she stripped the thorns from its stem and then presented it to Gildrum. тАЬPerhaps you would be surprised at how all this fills my life.тАЭ

He accepted the rose and twined its stem with that of the yellow bloom he had plucked himself. тАЬI wonder that you shun human society. Ordinary mortals, yes, I can

comprehend how they might bore you, but there are other sorcerersтАФI know of several, at least by reputation, and once I even saw one from afar, casting a spell for the lord I served at the time.тАЭ

тАЬWe know each other, we sorcerers, but we do not keep company. It is better so. Such powers would make for wild arguments, would they not, for even friends argue

sometimes, and surely married couples do so. An argument over the seasoning of the soup might light the sky for miles, uproot trees, flood the land, destroy all that both of them held dear. Of what use would such a match be?тАЭ

тАЬIf that is your view of marriage, kind Delivev, then I, who have never married, cannot disagree.тАЭ

тАЬBetween sorcerers, yes. The sorcerous breed have quick tempers, Mellor. They are happier solitary.тАЭ

тАЬYou speak as if from experience. Forgive me if I pry, my lady, butтАж did you ever marry?тАЭ

She shook her head. тАЬMy mother married, to her sorrow. I saw, for a few years when I was very young, what life could be like for a sorcerous couple. We were better off, she and I, after my father died.тАЭ

тАЬAnd your mother? What happened to her?тАЭ

тАЬShe died, too. She was very old when I was born, though of course you could not tell from looking at her.тАЭ She looked into GildrumтАЩs eyes. тАЬI am old, too, Mellor. Much older than you imagine. We sorcerers are a long-lived stock.тАЭ

He held the flowers out to her on his open palm. тАЬYou are younger than these blossoms in my sight And far more beautiful.тАЭ

She took the blooms from his hand, her fingers resting warm against his flesh for a moment тАЬIs a flattering tongue part of your knightтАЩs weaponry, Mellor?тАЭ

тАЬOne learns soft words when the object is worthy of them, my lady.тАЭ

тАЬYou should be a troubadour, then, instead of a knight, and spread soft words about the world instead of blood.тАЭ

тАЬWhat do you know of troubadours, my lady who rarely shelters a guest in her home?

Are troubadours the lone exception to your aversion to humanity? If so, I might consider the change.тАЭ

тАЬI need not let the world into my castle; I can see it well enough if I wish, and hear it, too. Shall I show you a marvel?тАЭ

тАЬYes. I haven't seen many true marvels in my travels.тАЭ

She rose. тАЬCan you walk now?тАЭ

тАЬI think so.тАЭ He stood shakily.

тАЬLean upon my shoulder.тАЭ

тАЬWith pleasure.тАЭ He let his weight fall lightly upon her, just enough to let her feel that she was helping him. They moved slowly through the nearest doorway, down a corridor, and into a large room. Light spilling through a high window revealed the walls of the room to be festooned with spiderwebs. Gildrum hesitated at the threshold. тАЬHow long has it been since you last visited this place?тАЭ

тАЬA few weeks,тАЭ she said. тАЬThese webs are not signs of abandonment, merely of busy spiders. They do their best to satisfy my needs.тАЭ