"Tanya Huff - Kigh 1 - Sing the Four Quarters" - читать интересную книгу автора (Huff Tanya)

Late teens or early twenties, the bard decided, watching Avram expertly work the side paddle. He
was short and slight like most of the Riverfolk, but the hands wrapped around the paddle's
polished shaft gave an instant impression of capable strength and seemed almost out of
proportion to the rest of his body.

As though he felt her scrutiny, he half-turned, flicked a shock of dusty black hair up out of dark
eyes, and grinned down at her.

In spite of the lingering nausea, Annice grinned back. Good teeth and great hands, I do enjoy the
scenery on the river.

At another command from the stern, he rounded the bow and moved out of sight. With only the
bare branches of trees blowing about on the far shore remaining to look at, Annice stifled a sigh
and settled back.

Jon propped his feet up on the bow deck and pulled a ball of gray wool and four horn needles out
from a small pack tucked under the seat. "I can't sit with empty hands," he explained. "And it
takes most of my travel time just to keep myself in socks. I hate having wet feet."


file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry%20kruis...anya%20Huff%20-%20Sing%20the%20Four%20Quarters.html (6 of 396)23-2-2006 17:34:07
 Huff, Tanya - Sing the Four Quarters


"As a matter of factтАж" Shifting her weight against the motion of the river, Annice got
comfortable in the other corner and slipped an almost identical setup out of a pocket on the side
of her instrument case. The fresh air seemed to be canceling out the rocking of the boat so, while
she wasn't feeling any better, at least she wasn't feeling any worse. Remembering the alternative,
she decided she could live with that. "тАж I know exactly what you mean."

They sat knitting in companionable silence for a time, watching gray sky slide by above darker
gray water, listening to the occasional profanity drifting up from the stern, when suddenly a gust
of wind dove into the shelter, ripped the front curtains from the tiebacks, and belled the hide out
above them.

"Bugger it!" Jon grabbed the flapping hide in one beefy hand and dragged it back against the
wind.

Annice twisted around and glared up at the two kigh who were pushing against the roof of the
shelter. Pursing her lips, she twice repeated the series of four notes she'd whistled at the kigh by
the privy. The smaller of the two shot her a haughty glance, twisted back on itself, and ran its
fingers through Jon's beard as it left. The larger circled the inside of the small area twice, then
squeezed itself out the space between Annice and the curved wooden frame, lifting the ball of
wool off her lap and taking it along.

She grabbed for it but not in time.

"Kigh?" Jon asked, relying the curtains.