"Edghill,.Rosemary.-.Empty.Crown.Trilogy" - читать интересную книгу автора (Edghill Rosemary)

"A toast," Michael said, when the glasses were ready, but it was Melior
who stood and raised his glass.

"To the Beltaine child," Melior said. "May she find what she seeks."

Ruth felt rather as though she had been given a very great gift-and one
that she didn't know how to unwrap. That's right, Ruth thought. It's
Beltaine. May Eve-the 30th of ApriL Walpurgisnacht. But if he's from
Elfland, how did HE know?

Then Melior drank, and the moment of strangeness passed.

"Now the story," Naomi said to Melior, once the dishes were scraped and
the cake was sitting on the table thawing.

"Lose the ears," Philip suggested. Melior raised an eyebrow in
Philip's direction but said nothing. He looked around at the other
three.

"Is it your will that this tale be told?" he asked. "For know ye
this: Rohannan Melior of the House of the Silver Silences is a prince
and a king's son, and the son of a prince and a king's son and so on to
the beginning of time, and the words that he speaks are not without
power in whichever of the worlds he speaks them."

Philip smirked, caught Naomi's eye, and didn't say anything.

"I think we all appreciate that, uh, Melior," Michael said
courteously.

"Why don't you tell us what happened, and maybe we can do something to
help."

Melior stretched-and winced-and smiled ruefully. "Very well, Friend
Michael. But this is not a tale for high words, as it is not a tale of
high deeds, merely of stupidity, overconfidence, and pride."

"That we can handle," Naomi said.

Philip leaned forward-really paying attention, Ruth realized, and not
out of a desire to help, but more because if he were asked to help it
would give him a chance to do what Philip loved to do best-meddle with
permission.

"Well, then," Melior said. "First the tale, then you may ask what you
will-for as strange as you are to me, I warrant you have never seen my
like as well."

"Not since Star Trek was canceled," Philip said. Ruth kicked him.