"Sharon Green - Lady Blade, Lord Fighter" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Sharon)

and a boy emerged, muffled to the ears and wearing a woolen cap which couldn't have offset the thinness
of his threadbare coat and trousers. The boy pulled the door shut behind him, hurried recklessly down the
slippery-looking steps into the torchlit night, then put a thin hand on Timper's bridle.

"I'll see to him for you, sir," the boy said in a voice that cracked more from the cold than his age, bobbing
where he stood in a parody of proper bowing. "You go right on in to where it's warm, an' I'll put him in
the sheds behind."

Timper nodded and surrendered his mount without demur-ral, pleasantly surprised to see that the
amenities weren't entirely lost to those of the north, then climbed the steps toward the front door. Behind
him the boy had hesitated very briefly before leading his horse away, just as though he had expected
something more from Timper than a nod, but he couldn't imagine what that might be. Residences in the
south always had a boy to see to one's horse, and they never expected more than a nod. After all, was he
expected to give stabiing directions for what would be a visit of no more than a few minutes at the most?

The door opened again as Timper reached it, this time wide enough to let him enter. The entrance hall was
lamplit and warm, especially when the servingman closed the door behind him, then turned to give him a
far more proper bow.

"Allow me to take your ctoak, sir," the man offered, already reaching for the garment in question. He was
dressed in striped silk with knee hose and buckled shoes, but the scrupulously correct tailoring usually
worn by servants of the upper class failed to hide his outrageously large size. One normally chose
servants of lesser proportions for one's household, Timper knew, to keep one's guests from needing to
look upward in so uncomfortable a manner, but he was hardly there to school those of the north in
common courtesy. His commission was far more important than that, and he was anxious to get on with it.

"I shan't be staying long enough for that," Timper denied with a wave of his hand, looking around at the
polished-wood paneling of the entrance hall and the closed doors that led from it to the house proper. "I
am a courier of the Duke Rilfe of the House of Kienne in the Duchy of Gensea, and have

LADY BLADE, LORD FIGHTER 9

been told that the lady Sofaltis of the same House might be found here. I must insist that I be taken to her
at opce."

"I do beg your pardon, sir, but I'm afraid that that would be a matter best discussed with my mistress," the
man replied, withdrawing his hands with a small, odd smile curving his lips. "Til have someone take you
to her."

"Gad, man, have you no ears?" Timper snapped, long since out of patience with the numberless

file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Sha...reen%20-%20Lady%20Blade,%20Lord%20Fighter.htm (3 of 295) [10/18/2004 3:25:44 PM]
 file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Sharon%20Green%20-%20Lady%20Blade,%20Lord%20Fighter.htm

obstructions he'd found in his path. "I have no wish to see your mistress, I wish to see ..."

His words ended in near-outrage as the servant dared to turn his back and take up a small hammer lying in
front of a set of crystal bells, and then purposefully strike one of the bells. The pure crystal tone was
sweet and considerably more penetrating than Timper would have expected, and the first door to the right