"Laurell K. Hamilton - Nightseer" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hamilton Laurell K)

Harque came from every shadow, she was always there. Keleios ran into a wallтАФa dead
end, nowhere to go. Harque stood behind her, tall and severe. тАЬDo you want to see your
mother?тАЭ

Keleios stared at her, too frightened to speak, too tired to move.
The witch repeated her question. тАЬDo you want to see your mother?тАЭ

Keleios nodded and couldnтАЩt stop herself from taking the womanтАЩs hand. The witchтАЩs hand
was cool to her sweating flesh. Harque led her up a narrow-walled stairway. At the top
there was a narrow landing and one door. Harque smiled down at Keleios, smiled with her
vision-befuddled eyes, and the child shrank back. She dragged Keleios to the door. тАЬDonтАЩt
you want to see your mother?тАЭ

There was an odor now, faint but growing stronger. The stench of sickness and uncleaned
clothes soured with sweat. Keleios tried to pull away, but the grip was like iron. The door
opened so slowly. The smell washed over the child, and she vomited on the stones.
Harque held her forehead, gently, and helped her stand afterwards.
Keleios balked, not wanting to enter the room. Harque dragged her along the floor,
screaming, dragged her over the doorsill into the stinking room. She was jerked to her
feet and told, тАЬLook.тАЭ
The room was narrow with only a rickety bed in it. Something was tied to that bed. It was
black, and pus oozed from it. The skin was cracked and bleeding as if the sickness were
too much for the skin to hold. Keleios stared at the thing for a time, not understanding.
Her eyes wouldnтАЩt make sense of it.
The small girl realized a person was tied to the bed. Keleios began to cry. There was no
hint of who it had been, only that it had been a person.

The black face turned toward them and opened its eyesтАФbrown eyes, her motherтАЩs eyes.

Keleios screamed.
HarqueтАЩs voice came. тАЬWhere is the fair Elwine the Gentle? Where is she now?тАЭ

The nightmare faded to the sounds of her own screams.

She woke, panting and sweat drenched. Magda, her nursemaid, was there, brought by her
screams. тАЬKeleios, child, what is it?тАЭ
Keleios cried into MagdaтАЩs plump bosom, sobbing, unable to talk. The fear was still there,
horrible and complete. She could not breathe around the terror of it. She could not think
for the sight of her motherтАЩs eyes, her motherтАЩs death.
There was a soft footstep and the rustling of silk in the reeds that covered the floor.
Elwine was there, tall and slender, dressed in white. Keleios fought free of the nurse and
scrambled for her mother.

Elwine held her and stroked her hair until her breathing calmed and her sobs quieted.
тАЬNow, little one, what has happened to upset you so?тАЭ
Keleios whispered, тАЬI dreamed.тАЭ

тАЬBut weтАЩve talked before, Keleios; dreams cannot hurt you.тАЭ

Keleios prided herself on being brave and would not look at her mother, but stared at the