"Robin Hobb - Wizard Of The Pigeons" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hobb Robin)

Sylvester finished his account, and Wizard stood nodding
in grave commiseration. Suddenly, raucous laughter burst out
behind him. Wizard gave a startled jump, and turned to find
that two teenage giris had slipped a coin into Laughing Jack.
The ninty little sailor with the fly on his nose and die cigarette
dangling from his lips guffawed on and on, swaying in the
force of his hilarity and wringing answering giggles from the
giris. The giris had eyes as bright as young fillies'. They were
incredibly young, even for a bright October day in Seattle.
Wizard could only marvel at it. When the coin ran out and
Jack was mercifully still, they stepped up to Estrella the Gypsy.

"Oh, I did her before. Come on. Nance. That's a dumb one.
She just gives you this little printed card."

"It's my dime," Nance declared loudly, and slipped the coin
in the slot. Estrella lifted her proud head. She gave the girls a
piercing look and then began to scan the tarot cards before her.
She made a few mystic passes and a small white card dropped
from a slot in me machine. Estrella bowed her head and was
still. Nance picked up the card. Haltingly, she began to read

Wizard of the Pigeons 5

Estrella's prophecies aloud. "'Your greatest fault is that you
talk too much. Learn toтАФ'"

"Geez, Nance' You coulda learned that from me and saved
your dime!" Her friend rolled her eyes. and with much giggling
the two giris departed. Nance waving the little black and white
printed card before her like a fan. Wizard shook his head
slightly after them. Sylvester breathed a small and dusty sigh.
Estrella lifted her head and gave Wizard a slow wink. A second
card emerged from the slot.

Wizard stooped cautiously to take it up. He glanced at the
brightly painted tarot card in his hand, and then peered sharply
at Estrella. But she was as still as a painted dummy, her eyes
cast modestly downward. Wizard stared at his card. It was
more than twice the size of the one the girls had received.
Depicted on one side m gaudy colors was a man, caught by
one heel in a rope snare and dangling upside down. Wizard
was fascinated. Slowly he turned the card over. In ornate letters
of dark red was printed A WARNING' That was all. Estrella
wouldn't meet his eyes, and Sylvester gave a hollow groan.
Even the pickled piglet in its glass Jar squirmed uncomfortably.

Wizard tucked me card into his shirt pocket and gave a
farewell nod to Sylvester. The wind hit him as he emerged