"Kay, Guy Gavriel - Last Light Of The Sun" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kay Guy Gavriel)

"A temper when he drank. But a shrewd man, as I recall. Is his
son?"

He still couldn't see her clearly, a shadow on a bed. Had she been
asleep? They said she didn't sleep.

"You will be killed for this," she said. Her voice held a dry
amusement more than anything else. "They will fear an angry
ghost."

"I know that," said Bern. "It is why I have come. I need .. . counsel."
He paused. "Is it clever to know that much, at least?"

"Take the horse back," she said, blunt as a hammer.

He shook his head. "I wouldn't need magic to do that. I need
counsel for how to live. And not go back."

He saw her shift on the bed then. She stood up. Came forward.
The light fell upon her, finally. She wasn't a hundred years old.

She was very tall, thin and bony, his mother's age, perhaps more.
Her hair was long and plaited and fell on either side of her head like
a maiden's, but grey. Her eyes were a bright, icy blue, her face
lined, long, no beauty in it, a hard authority. Cruelty. A raider's face,
had she been a man. She wore a heavy robe, dyed the colour of
old blood. An expensive colour. He looked at her and was afraid.
Her fingers were very long.

"You think a bearskin vest, badly made, buys you access to
seithr?" she said. Her name was Iord, he suddenly remembered.
Forgot who had told him that, long ago. In daylight.

Bern cleared his throat. "It isn't badly made," he protested. She
didn't bother responding, stood waiting.

He said, "I have no other gifts to give. I am a servant to Arni
Kjellson now." He looked at her, standing as straight as he could.
"You said . . . many had reason to hate Halldr. Was he . . .
generous to you and the women here?"

A guess, a gamble, a throw of dice on a tavern table among
beakers of ale. He hadn't known he would say that. Had no idea
whence the question had come.

She laughed again. A different tone this time. Then she was silent,
looking at him with those hard eyes. Bern waited, his heart still
pounding.