"Katharine Kerr - The Bargain" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kerr Katherine)

answering whistle, then another. Two more archers stepped out of the forest, and
when the three of them strolled over to inspect their prize, Paran was in for the shock
of his life. Their eyes were dark purple, and the enormous irises were slit vertically
with pupils like those of cats. Their ears were abnormally long, too, and curled to
delicate points like seashells. They in their turn were pointing out his eyes and ears to
each other and chattering away about them, too, from the sound of it. тАЬUh, I mean
you no harm. Truly I donтАЩt.тАЭ The three of them smiled in a rather unpleasant way.
тАЬAnd what have we here?тАЭ
The voice seemed to speak in ParanтАЩs language, but the young men called out
a greeting in their own. As she materialized between two trees, the woman looked as
blonde and boyish as her companions, dressed much like them, too, but when Paran
tried to look at her face, her image swam and flickered, as if heтАЩd drunk himself
blind. She seemed to age, her tunic changing back and forth from blue to green to
gray; then she suddenly was young again. The archers, however, stayed as visible
and substantial as himself as they stared at the woman in awe, lips half-parted.
тАЬThis is a strange deer youтАЩve caught in my forest,тАЭ she said to them, then
turned to Paran. тАЬWho are you?тАЭ
тАЬParan of Aberwyn, my lady. Do you know the place? ItтАЩs a little town down
by the sea.тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt, and the sea means naught to me. What are you doing here?тАЭ
тАЬJust seeing what I can see. IтАЩm a curious man, my lady, and no man of my
race has ever been here.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩm well aware of that, my thanks.тАЭ
She studied him with narrow eyes, cold now and yellow as a snakeтАЩs, and her
lips were tight, too, perhaps in rage, perhaps in contemptтАФit was hard to tell with
her constant shape-shiftingтАФyet of one thing he was sure, that heтАЩd never seen a
woman so beautiful or so dangerous. If she gave the word, the archers would fill him
with arrows like a leather target at a festival.
тАЬI swear it, my lady. I mean you not the slightest harm.тАЭ
 тАЬNo doubt, but harm can come without a meaning behind it. Your people are
the ones who are taking slaves from the river villages, arenтАЩt you?тАЭ
тАЬAre those your vassals? IтАЩll swear to you on the gods of my people that IтАЩve
naught to do with that. My kind of clan doesnтАЩt need bondmen. We donтАЩt have any
lands.тАЭ
тАЬTheyтАЩre not mine, but theyтАЩre gentle souls who do no harm and make their
tools out of stones. Your people stink of blood and iron.тАЭ She turned old, very old,
old beyond belief yet still beautiful, and her heavy cloak was gray with mourning.
тАЬHow much have you killed in my woods?тАЭ
тАЬSome squirrels, some hares, and some fish from the river. Forgive me: I
didnтАЩt know I was poaching. I didnтАЩt know anyone lived out here.тАЭ
тАЬAnd what will you give me in return?тАЭ
тАЬAnything of mine you desire.тАЭ Paran pointed at his pack. тАЬLook through it,
or take it all if you want.тАЭ
Suddenly she was young again, with a smile as disdainful as any highborn
ladyтАЩs in Elditina. Her beauty seemed to hang around her like a cloud of scent or
crackle in the air like heat lightning: he found himself struggling for words, and him a
man whoтАЩd always been able to talk his way out of anything before.
тАЬKeep your greasy trinkets,тАЭ she said. тАЬI want the truth for my dues. What
truly made you come here?тАЭ
тАЬA change from the merchants of Aberwyn. They wish to find out what lies in