"Diana Wynne Jones - The Game" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jones Diana Wynne)

it flowed and stopped and flowed again, in some of the loveliest
sounds she had ever heard. тАЬItтАЩs his brother,тАЭ she said to Martya.
Martya just nodded and smiled and looked at shoes. Hayley said,
тАЬIтАЩll be back in a minute,тАЭ and walked sideways away along the
fronts of the shops, tracking the music. тАЬLike the Pied Piper or
something,тАЭ she said aloud, as the sounds led her on, and on, and
then round a corner into a small side street.
The musician was there, standing in blazing sunlight and, to
HayleyтАЩs delight, he was actually playing a pipe, the kind you held
sideways to play. Hayley dimly thought it might be a flute. She had
never heard such lovely sounds as those that came pouring out of it,
although she did wish that he would keep to one tune, instead of
playing in snatches. One moment he would be playing something
wild and jolly. Then he would break off and start another tune, this
one melting and sad. Then it would be music you could march to.
She stood and surveyed him and rejoiced.
He had hair like MartyaтАЩs, quite long but not as long as MartyaтАЩs,
that blew around his head in fine white strands, and he was as tall
and thin as the violin player, though nothing like so neat. His
clothes were green and baggy and a green, green scarf fluttered
from his neck. A baggy green hat lay on the ground by his bare
feet, waiting for money.
He was watching Hayley watching him while he played. His eyes
were the same green as his scarf. Hayley had never seen eyes that
colour before, nor had she ever looked into eyes that were so direct
and interested and kind. It was as if he and Hayley knew one
another already.
тАЬIтАЩm sorry I havenтАЩt any money,тАЭ she said.
You couldnтАЩt play a flute and talk. He took the flute away from
his mouth to smile and say, тАЬThat doesnтАЩt matter.тАЭ
тАЬAre you the violin manтАЩs brother?тАЭ she asked.
тАЬThatтАЩs right,тАЭ he said. тАЬWho are you?тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩm Hayley Foss,тАЭ Hayley said. тАЬWhat are you called?тАЭ
He grinned, the same sort of youthful grin as his brotherтАЩs, and
asked, тАЬWhat do you want to call me?тАЭ
All sorts of names flooded through HayleyтАЩs mind, so many that
she was surprised into taking a deep, gasping breath. тАЬFlute,тАЭ she
said, in the end.
He laughed. тАЬThatтАЩll do. And I suppose that makes my brotherтАЩs
name Fiddle. One of us had better warn him. What can I do for
you?тАЭ
тАЬAre you a magician?тАЭ Hayley asked.
тАЬIn many ways, yes,тАЭ he said. тАЬI donтАЩt live by the usual rules.тАЭ
тАЬI have to live by rules all the time,тАЭ Hayley said wistfully. тАЬCan
you show me some magic?тАЭ
Flute looked at her consideringlyтАФand quite sympathetically, she
thought. He seemed to be going to agree, but then he looked up
over HayleyтАЩs head and said, тАЬSome other time, perhaps.тАЭ
Martya was rushing up the small street, waving a pair of large
pink shoes with cowboy fringes, and a lady from the shoe shop was