"Flynn-ThePromiseOfGod" - читать интересную книгу автора (Flynn Michael)

Nealy started, caught unawares by the sudden question. He nodded. "And her
were's in the bargain; and for aye."

"How did you intend to do that?"

Nealy brightened. He loved to explain his reasoning to Greta. It was always so
logical, his major and minor premises all lined up like ducklings after their
mother. "I bethought myself to conjure a salamander," he said. "When Agnes and
Lucius were set a-fire, the fleas would quickly perish." He heard the young
man's gasp and turned to her with a smile. "And, upon my word, they would ne'er
come back to bother you more."

Agnes made stiff fists by her side. "Is this a jest?

"Fleas cannot abide a high temperature," Nealy pointed out, reasonably as he
thought; but all he received in return from Agnes was a look of terror.

"Are you mocking me?"

Greta sighed and shook her head. "It is only the judgment of a man who has lost
all his moral anchors."

"The difficulty," the rixmister had explained, "is to strike the balance between
obedience and fear. Should he fear you too greatly, he may strike out in anger.
Should he fear you too little, he may not obey. Your instruments are the knout
and the caress."

Nealy watched the girl and the mister with lack of interest, then turned his
attention back to the rag doll he had been playing with. A scrap of metal
affixed to its head and it was Lief ben Erik, the Great Explorer. Nealy imagined
him standing in the prow of his longboat facing the spray. Sail on. Sail on. To
Vinland the Good and Hy Brasil! Nealy made ocean spray noises with his mouth.

Where were Mama and Papa? They had not come with him when he left with the
priest. Why did they avoid him so? Had he been bad? Had he been that bad? They
fed him and they clothed him. . . and they treated him like a stranger. He
missed their hugs; he missed their kisses. He missed Papa's funny, booming voice
and Mama's ample lap. How could he right matters; put everything back as it had
been, before the wolf, before Gray Harry. . . if no one told him what he had
done wrong?

It wasn't fair. Yes, he had killed hurt Gray Harry; but that had been an
accident. The gods would understand. He had offered the sacrifices to Iaveis and
Dianah. He studied the doll. Dress it differently and it could be Papa, or even
Mama. He made a fist and punched the doll sharply in the body. That would teach
them!

Tears filled his eyes and his lower lip trembled. How could he even think of
hurting Papa or Mama? He must be a very bad boy to have had such very bad
thoughts. No wonder his parents did not love him any more. No wonder the other