"Robin Hobb - Assassin 1 - Assassin' s Apprentice" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hobb Robin)

always find some fault with my behavior and have Burrich reproached with it.
Regal, too, was a source of danger. He had most of his man's growth, but did not
scruple to shove me out of his path or walk casually through whatever I had
found to play with. He was capable of a pettiness and vindictiveness that I
never encountered in Verity. Not that Verity ever took time with me, but our
chance encounters were never unpleasant. If he noticed me, he would tousle my
hair, or offer me a penny. Once a servant brought to Burrich's quarters some
little wooden toys, soldiers and horses and a cart, their paint much worn, with
a message that Verity had found them in a corner of his clothing chest and
thought I might enjoy them. I cannot think of any other possession I ever valued
more.
Cob in the stables was another danger zone. If Burrich were about, he spoke
me fair and treated me evenly, but had small use for me at other times. He gave
me to understand he did not want me about and underfoot where he was working. I
found out eventually that he was jealous of me and felt my care had replaced the
interest Burrich had once taken in him. He was never overtly cruel, he never
struck me or scolded me unfairly. But I could sense his distaste for me, and
avoided him.
All the men-at-arms showed a great tolerance for me. After the street
children of Buckkeep Town, they were probably the closest I had to friends. But
no matter how tolerant men may be of a boy of nine or ten, there is precious
little in common. I watched their bone games and listened to their stories, but
for every hour I spent among their company, there were days when I did not go
among them at all. And while Burrich never forbade me the guardroom, he did not
conceal that he disapproved of the time I spent there.
So I was and was not a member of the keep community. I avoided some and I
observed some and I obeyed some. But with none did I feel a bond.
Then one morning, when I was still a bit shy of my tenth year, I was at play
under the tables in the Great Hall, tumbling and teasing with the puppies. It
was quite early in the day. There had been an occasion of some sort the day
before, and the feasting had lasted the whole day and well into the night.
Burrich had drunk himself senseless. Almost everyone, noble or servants, was
still abed, and the kitchen had not yielded up much to my hungry venturing that
morning. But the tables in the Great Hall were a trove of broken pastries and
dishes of meat. There were bowls of apples as well, slabs of cheese; in short,
all a boy could wish for plundering. The great dogs had taken the best bones and
retreated to their own corners of the hall, leaving various pups to scrabble for
the smaller bits. I had taken a rather large meat pasty under the table and was
sharing it out with my chosen favorites among the pups. Ever since Nosy, I had
taken care that Burrich should not see me to have too great an affinity with any
one puppy. I still did not understand why he objected to my closeness to a


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hound, but I would not risk the life of a puppy to dispute it with him. So I was
alternating bites with three whelps when I heard slow footsteps threshing across
the reed-strewn floor. Two men were speaking, discussing something in low tones.
I thought it was the kitchen servants, come to clear away. I scrabbled from