"David Gemmel - Troy 02 - Shield of Thunder" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gemmel David)

He saw the woman leave the cave. She, too, wandered down to the stream. Tall and slender, she
walked with her head high, her movements graceful, like a Kretan dancer. She was not a runaway
slave, Kalliades knew. Slaves learned to walk with their heads down, their posture submissive. He did
not speak but watched her as she washed the dried blood from her face and arms. Her face was still
swollen, and there were bruises around her eyes. Even without the swelling she would not be pretty,
he thought. Her face was strong and angular, her brows thick, her nose too prominent. It was a stern
face and one that he guessed was a stranger to laughter even in better times.
When she had cleaned herself, she lifted the dagger. For a heartbeat Kalliades thought she was going
to cut her own throat. Then she grabbed a length of her blond hair and sawed the dagger through it.
The warrior sat silently as she continued to hack at her hair, tossing handfuls to the rocks. Kalliades
was mystified. There was no expression on her face, no anger showing. When she had finished, she
leaned forward and rubbed her hands across her scalp, shaking loose hairs from her head.
Finally she stepped from the stream and sat down a little way from him. тАЬAiding me was not wise,тАЭ
she said.
тАЬI am not a wise man.тАЭ
The sky began to lighten, and from where they sat they could see fields covered with thousands of
blue flowers. The woman stared at them, and Kalliades saw her expression soften. тАЬIt is as if the color
of the sky has leached into the earth,тАЭ she said softly. тАЬWho would have thought that such beautiful
plants could grow in such an arid place? Do you know what they are?тАЭ
тАЬThey are flax,тАЭ he said. тАЬThe linen of your tunic came from such plants.тАЭ
тАЬHow is it turned to cloth?тАЭ she asked. Kalliades stared out over the flax fields, remembering the days
of his childhood, when he and his little sisters worked the fields of King Nestor, tearing the plants up
by the roots, removing the seeds that would be used for medicinal oils or the sealing of timbers,
placing the stems in the running water of the stream to rot. тАЬDo you know?тАЭ she prompted him.
тАЬYes, I know.тАЭ And he told her of the backbreaking labor of children and women gathering the plants,
retting the stems, then, once they had rotted and been left to dry, beating them with wooden
hammers. Then the children would sit in the hot sunshine, scraping the stems, removing the last of
the wood. After that came the hackling, the exposed fibers being drawn again and again through ever
finer combs. Even as he told her of the process, Kalliades found himself wondering at the resilience of
women. Despite all she had been through and what probably would lie ahead, she seemed fascinated
by this ancient skill. Then he looked into her pale eyes and saw that the interest was merely
superficial. Beneath it there was tension and fear. They sat in silence for a while. Then he glanced at
her, and their eyes met. тАЬWe will stand to the death to prevent them from taking you again. On this
you have my oath.тАЭ
The woman did not reply, and Kalliades knew she did not believe him. Why should she? he wondered.
As he spoke, Banokles came strolling from the cave, halted at a nearby tree, and raised his tunic. Then
he began to urinate with rare gusto, stepping back and aiming the jet of water as high up the trunk as
possible.
тАЬWhat is he doing?тАЭ the woman asked.
тАЬHe is very proud of the fact that not a man he ever met could piss as high as he can.тАЭ
тАЬWhy would they want to?тАЭ
Kalliades laughed. тАЬYou have obviously not spent long in the company of men.тАЭ He cursed inwardly as
her expression hardened. тАЬA stupid remark,тАЭ he said swiftly. тАЬI apologize for it.тАЭ
тАЬNo need,тАЭ she said, forcing a smile. тАЬAnd I will not be broken by what happened. It is not the first
time I have been raped. I tell you this, though: To be raped by strangers is less vile than to be abused
by those you have trusted and loved.тАЭ Taking a deep breath, she transferred her gaze back to the
fields of blue flowers.
тАЬWhat is your name?тАЭ
тАЬWhen I was a child, they called me Piria. That is what I will use today.тАЭ
Banokles walked over to where they sat and slumped down beside Kalliades. He looked at the