"Roberta Gellis - Bull God" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gellis Roberta)

distant past, and the wines of Crete had been prized and praised in every land. Then the priestess died
and some past queen had wanted the glory of being Dionysus' priestess as well as queen. In that she
failed, for the god hadn't come to her Calling nor to the following queen/priestesses, but he had never
rejected a priestess.

If her father did not sacrifice her there at the altar, Ariadne thought, the people would tear her to bits.
She drew her hands back from their reach toward the god and clasped them desperately under her
barely swelling breasts. Tears began to course down her cheeks, smearing the kohl that lined her eyes.
She hadn't felt ready for mating, but surely that would be better than to be turned away.

"I'mnot unripe," she sobbed. "My moon times have come. I'm ready for marriage. Oh, don't turn me
away, my lord. The people will tear me to bits for displeasing you."

"Tear you to bits . . ."

Something flickered behind his eyesтАФknowledge of such frenzies? Horror? Ariadne began to tremble as
she remembered the stories about the winter worship, not that in the shrine but out on the hills and in the
forests when it was said the followers of Dionysus went mad and tore beasts and men apart with teeth
and nails. When he hadn't come to the shrine, had he led those worshipers? The breath caught in her
throat as he suddenly strode forward, stepped onto the altar, and pulled her up beside him.

"Don't weep, child," he said, putting an arm gently around her shoulders and drawing her close. "I won't
harm you.You don't displease me. But those who chose so unfit a sacrificeтАФ"

Relief made her bold enough to glance up at him. He was again looking out at the crowd of people. His
eyes were clear blue, very pale, bright and hard as polished gemsтАФmad and merciless. And in them
Ariadne Saw, but not with her eyes, father and mother, brother and courtiers, all gone mad, striking and
tearing at each other, covered with blood.

She couldn't bear to look and couldn't look away. Fear made her sick. Her stomach churned; her heart
pounded so hard she felt a tearing pain around itтАФpain so great she sagged against Dionysus' side. He
looked down and the Vision of chaos faded. Instead she Saw a covering around her heart unfold, like the
petals of a strange flower. They held the beating heart at their center, and as that flower pulsed, a mist of
gently swaying silver strands flowed out toward Dionysus. When they touched him, she breathed in
deeply as feeling and knowledge flowed back along the strands to her.

Had less happened to her that day, had she not seen agod appear and heard him speak to her, she
wouldn't have believed what she felt and saw inside her head. Awe made her receptive. She knew she
had received a Gift, given when she was consecrated to make her a true priestess. Through that Gift she
could read her god's will and she knew that he felt belittled and abused, and that his Power was to make
those who scorned him punish themselves through holy frenzy. But it was understanding that had come to
her through those tenuous silver strands, not fear. Her weakness had distracted him. The people were still
safe.

"My lord," she cried softly, gripping his arm with one hand and winding the other in his tunic, "there was
no one else. I am the eldest virgin daughter of the king. You were offered the best my father and mother
had to give."

"The eldest virgin daughter," he repeated, now looking down at her, his voice puzzled rather than angry.
"Is that the custom?"