"Fifth Millennium 02 - Shadow's Daughter - Shirley Meier UCb" - читать интересную книгу автора (Fifth Millennium)

said, and held out her thin hands, beckoning. Megan didn't move. "Willful, isn't she? Just like western stock."

"Megan, come out and be polite." Papa's voice was like his flint and steel scraping to start a fire. "Your aunt is just leaving."

Marte had a peevish, annoyed look, entirely unlike her younger brother. She was taller than he was and her hair was streaky with grey. Lixand's face was flushed and if Ness held her cup any tighter she was going to break it. Megan crawled out dragging Brunsc to protect her and Marte held out her hands again. Those hands never felt like what her voice said, usually holding too hard or pinching. Megan shook her head and stayed by her papa, hiding her eyes on his leg. She thought that her aunt smelled like the medicines she made. "Such a sweet little grig! Such a child, Ness! With her looks you'd think that both her parents were City Zak of the purest sort," Marte said. Ness looked away, silent. Megan wanted to spit on her aunt's feet, but wouldn't; she was kin.

Lixand looked tired. "Marte," he said, "she looks like her mother and I am proud of my family." He took a deep breath and tried to be civil. "Tell me, have you made a connection with the Haian?"

"No, but I've made some other good contacts, nonetheless. The Haian isn't likely to be here long, ever since the Woyvode started showing his disfavor towards them." She got up as she spoke, brushing her sleeves hard as if to slap the dust of the house off. "Good Blossoming to you."

Lixand only said, "Shall I see you home? One can't be too careful in the City nowadays...."

She laughed as she walked over to the stairs and her shadow, as she walked by, was cold. "Oh, no. I'm quite safe." She looked happy, which made Megan feel both small and scared. "No," she said again. "I don't have to worry. Especially with the new contract I have. Just think on my advice, little brother." He took her by one elbow and walked her up the steps as if to make sure that she

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left quickly. Ness was shivering. Megan stood a moment clutching her bear, then ran to hug Mama.

"Your poor little cousin," her mama said, rocking her. "Poor Rifla."

"Poor Rilla," Megan parroted. "Can she come t'stay again? She's a funny baby."

"Maybe soon, Megan-mi. Your aunt says that she's too little to be away from her mother." Ness's face was closed as she repeated the words, and Megan could tell that her mother idn't feel them to be true. The door clicked upstairs and Papa came down, his feet making soft scuffing noises on the mat.

"Ach, she's venomous today." He sighed, then kissed Ness. She shushed him and nodded down at Megan in her lap. That means I'm not supposed to hear that. Papa hugged them both. "Don't worry, love," he said to his wife "She's been like that as long as I can remember, thinking I'm living below my status. She knows I don't play the cutthroat games for position and I won't let her pour poison hi my ear. It's not as if I'm the only candidate for Head of Guild, and it's safer if I keep out of the way till the dust settles. There are rumors of murder; we'll be safer keeping our heads down."

Ness was silent, holding onto her family.

"I'm four. I'm four." Megan skipped and sang beside her mother, holding her hand as they went down to the school. Four was important because that was when school could start. It was important enough for Ness to take time off from her work at the Guildhall, though they could ill afford the loss of her work time. Megan would normally have been with her parents in the baby's hall at the Guild.

Instead, she was being very careful not to wrinkle her good black tunic and Ness haa spent a bit of time brushing Megan's hair, braiding it up neatly out of the way. She took one long stretching step and three little running ones to keep up with her mother, humming.

They stopped before the Sysbaet's gate, and Megan

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Shiiiey Meier

craned her neck up at the phoenix carved in inlaid light and dark wood. Ness sighed and Megan looked to see what was the matter.

"Someone's stolen the bellpull again," Ness explained. The bell was too high to reach, being metal and very precious.

Megan's eyes filled with sudden tears. "If they don't hear us knock we won't get in and I won't start school and 111 be a beggar .. ." She bit her lip, trying not to cry.

"Hush. They'll hear the bell." Ness took a deep breath and put one hand on the gate to steady herself closing her eyes. The clapper of the bell started to swing to the Zak woman's thought. She wasn't strong enough to swing the whole bell, so she started it swinging then pushed at the right time. In a minute it rang, once, a tiny ringЧ then louder, a jangle. Ness was breathing a little hard. "There," she said. "They'll hear that."

"Thank you, Mama." Megan knew her mama was good at magic, manrauq, even if she was only barely a red witch.