"Karen Haber - Thieves' Carnival" - читать интересную книгу автора (Haber Karen)

frowned, "And leave you to those madmen?" He shook his head. Her hand curled
into a fist. She tried to swing at him, but he caught her arm.
"You fool!" she cried. "By Immortal Bas, has this all been wasted, then? I've been
branded a thief and it's all for nothing." Mouse hung her head and wept until Ciaran
released his hold on her.
"Maybe I should have left you to their mercies," he said, his voice harsh. "Stop
sniveling." Mouse wiped her eyes on her tunic, taking care to avoid the sore spot
between her eyebrows.
"What a queer thing this Cube is," the harpist said, cradling it in his palm. "Opaque
until it decides to show you its fire. Not unlike some thieves I know."
The side of his mouth lifted in a half smile. "I wonder what it does," he mused.
Scowling, Mouse snatched the Cube from his hand and tucked it into her belt
pouch.
"Who cares?" she snapped. "Since I can't trust you to follow instructions, maybe
I'd better carry the Cube until we get back to Thieves' Quarter."
"What happens then?"
"We give it over to Gray Tom and the Thieves' Treasury. We'll be awarded the
coin prize."
"Just like that?"
Mouse snorted. "Maybe you'd like to pierce the thing and wear it as an earring?
Come on. Maybe there's still time to get back and win."
She stood up and started to walk, but her knees wouldn't obey her properly. "Hold
onto me," Ciaran commanded. "Otherwise, we'll never get out of here."
Gratefully, she clutched his arm, feeling the muscles work beneath the skin.
"Where's your glowstone?"
"Here."
Was it her imagination, or were the wall panels losing their brightness? It couldn't be.
She'd found this passage as a child. The panels had always glowed, always lit her
way. Mouse blinked, and particles glittered behind her eyelids. Well, maybe she and
Ciaran were just moving farther away from the panels into the tunnel.
The harpist lit the glowstone and Mouse directed them back to the Thieves' Quarter.
By the time they were topside, Mouse had her legs back under her and was striding
eagerly toward the plaza.
She spied Gray Tom's orange hat in a crowd at the side of the old clock and made
for it. Maybe they still had a chance at the prize.
In midstep, she felt the bottom of her stomach give way, and she was walking
through air thick as sweetsap, with a storm of particles gleaming gold and green and
silver around her. Mouse swam through the shimmer. Where was Ciaran? She'd lost
sight of Gray Tom. Who were those strange folk wearing unfamiliar clothing and
sitting by the steps playing knucklebones?
"Mouse? Mousie?"
A strong arm was shaking her. Who dared call her Mousie? She swung on the
insolent rascal only to confront the harpist. He stared at her, alarm widening his gray
eyes.
"Are you sure you're all right?" Ciaran demanded. "You were staring at Gray Tom
and making strange noises."
Mouse ran an impatient hand through her wild black hair.
"Fine. I'm fine, I tell you. Here. Give Tom the Cube."
Ciaran swung the pouch holding the Portal Cube into the crier's palm. Gray Tom
hefted it, inspected the Cube, then nodded his approval.