"Katherine Kerr - Deverry 02 - Darkspell" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kerr Katherine)

intrigues around him.

In the third year, Nevyn had been given a pleasant chamber of his own in one of the side brochs, with
no explanation but that he deserved a bit of privacy. Soon after came a place down on the floor of the
great hall at a table with more courtly servitors. The KingтАЩs visits became longer, too, especially in winter
when he had more leisure, and at times the liege asked the servitor for blunt advice about the doings of
the court. Although Nevyn was always cautious with his answers, they seemed to please the King, who
on occasion dropped little hints about knowing that Nevyn was more than the grubby old man he seemed
to be.

Now, it seemed, the King had decided that the time had come to be blunt. On the morning when the
men of the Stag led out a small army to start their raid against the Boar, Nevyn was weeding a row of
comfrey plants when a page came, announcing that the King wished to see him in the council chamber.
Hurriedly Nevyn washed his hands in a leather bucket of water and followed the lad into the broch.

In the narrow chamber Glyn was alone, sitting casually on the edge of the table and staring at the
parchment map, struck with sunlight through the window. Cut from an entire calfskin, the map was worn,
the writing faded in places. Here and there, lines had been drawn in red ink, then scraped away again, the
old frontiers and battle lines showing through, a bleeding palimpsest. Seeing it made Nevyn feel wry: it
was his kingdom that other men were fighting for. Of anyone in Deverry, he had the best claim to the
Wyvern throne, if, of course, heтАЩd been able to convince anyone that Prince Galrion was still alive after
all these years.

тАШI called you here to ask you somewhat,тАЩ Glyn said abruptly. тАШYouтАЩre the only man I can trust to hold
your tongue about it. Even priests talk among themselves like old women.тАЩ

тАШOld women hold their tongues better, my liege.тАЩ

тАШYet this question of mine takes a priestтАЩs kind of knowledge to answer.тАЩ And here Glyn paused. тАШI
was hoping the dweomer might be able to advise me.тАЩ

тАШAnd does my liege think I have such knowledge?тАЩ

тАШHe does. Is your liege wrong?тАЩ

тАШHeтАЩs not.тАЩ

Glyn smiled in triumph, very briefly.

тАШThen answer me this,тАЩ he went on. тАШIf a man or a woman has sworn a vow in a temple, is there any
way that the oath can be foresworn without offending the gods?тАЩ

тАШWell, only in rare circumstances. Suppose someone swore a wrong thing with the connivance of a
corrupt priest, then that priestтАЩs superior could pronounce the vow invalid. It might also be possible for
the person who swore the vow to renounce it by devoting the rest of their life to the godтАЩs service, but
that would be a tricky matter indeed.тАЩ

тАШThatтАЩs hardly the case here.тАЩ

тАШOho! I take it my liege has noticed his brother pining after a forbidden thing.тАЩ