"Linda Evans - Time Scout 2 - Wages of Sin" - читать интересную книгу автора (Evans Linda)

Yesukai's stolen bride had not only accepted her marriage, but had begun to
rule her husband's yurt like a queen born to the task and, alone among
strangers, she had adopted the funny little bog who was in much the same
predicament, teaching him a great deal and smiling on him with great favor.
So, having learned caution from both his adoptive parents, Skeeter pulled
the animal to a walk, cooling him out, then halted as soon as he dared and
patted the beast on the neck. Dried sweat clung to his hand.
"You did good by me, fella. Thanks. I owe you. Too bad I can't make it up
to you."
The horse blew softly into his face and nudged his chest, friendly-like.
"Yeah," Skeeter said with a smile, stroking the velvety-soft nose, "me, too.
But I gotta run an you've gotta race."
He tied the reins to the nearest public fountain, so the horse could at
least get a drink of water, then set out to find himself a good, deep hidey-
hole until the Porta Romae cycled sometime near midnight. The jingling of gold
in the pouch at his waist sounded like victory.
Skeeter grinned.
Not a bad day's work.
Not bad at all.

CHAPTER THREE
Lupus Mortiferus didn't like losing.
In his line of work, defeat meant death. And like most gladiators, losing a
wager was an almost omenlike foreshadowing of trouble to come. The Wolf of
Death, as the School had named him, was going to find that miserable street
vermin and shake his money loose, or see him die in the arena for thievery.
All he had to do was find him.
He and his friends stood muttering in a group as the cheat escaped on Sun
Runner, one of the greatest champions ever to run in the Circus. The handler
was beside himself with fury. Already several other handlers had mounted to
give chase, but the thief had a good lead on a fast horse. Lupus Mortiferus
didn't hold out much hope that anyone would catch the rat.
"So," Quintus nudged him with an elbow, "you were gonna make a hundred-
fifty aurii, just like that, huh?"
"Guess the Wolf isn't as smart as he thought," another friend laughed.
"Getting a little long in the tooth and a little short on savvy?"
Lupus just ground his teeth and held silent. He'd needed that money to
start a new life. Having just purchased his own freedom last year, he'd barely
begun to save enough to leave the arena for good. Then, in one glorious
moment, some country rube offers the chance to get there three times faster
... and he turns out to be a sneak thief.
"You go on back," Lupus led. "My big matches aren't for hours, yet. Then
I'll follow those racing handlers, see what I can find. The Wolf does not give
up this easily."
He took another round of ribbing he had, after all, walked right into the
rat's smiling arms-then stalked in the direction the racing handlers had gone.
I will find that little puke and I will by Hercules break every bone in. his
cheating body to pieces and after that I'll break the pieces into pieces
He met the riders coming back, leading Sun Runner by the bridle. Sweat had
dried on him, but he'd been properly cooled out or the handlers wouldn't have