"Katherine Kerr - Deverry 06 - A Time Of Omens" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kerr Katherine)

went on and on and on for three days and washed away the troupeтАЩs remaining coin along with their
tempers. In a flood of jokes and compliments Salamander moved from person to person, keeping up
morale and stopping fights. As she told him late one night, when they got a moment alone together, Jill
had to admire him for it.

тАЬBut still,тАЭ she remarked. тАЬIf youтАЩd only put this much hard work into your studiesтАФтАЭ

He busied himself with slapping mosquitoes.

тАЬIтАЩve been meaning to have a talk with you,тАЭ she went on, relentless. тАЬNo doubt youтАЩve lost some
ground lately, but now that youтАЩre married and settled, thereтАЩs no reason that you couldnтАЩt gain it back.тАЭ

тАЬNo doubt youтАЩre correct, O Princess of Powers Perilous, as well as accurate, precise, and just plain
right, but the times are a bit troubled, not to say noisy, with all of us packed into this stinking inn together,
for concentration. At the moment, the only dweomer I feel like working would be a bit of weather magic,
to drive away this wretched storm, but I know that such would offend your fine-tuned sense of ethics.тАЭ

тАЬThings arenтАЩt quite desperate enough for that, yet.тАЭ

тАЬTrue. It doubtless will clear soon enough on its own. The innkeep assures me that this much rain is most
unseasonable.тАЭ

Apparently the innkeep knew his weather, because they woke on the morrow to clearing skies. In a
much improved mood the troupe set about cleaning and readying their equipment for the coming show.

тАЬI hope to every god that I was right about the profit to be made here,тАЭ Salamander remarked to Jill. тАЬIf
IтАЩm not, we are well and truly in the thick of battle without a sword, as the old saying would have it.тАЭ

She said nothing, by a great effort of will.

тАЬI know what youтАЩre thinking,тАЭ he went on with theatrical gloom. тАЬYou might as well berate me and be
done with it.тАЭ

тАЬI was merely wondering why anyone bothered to settle here in the first place, and then, in the second,
why they bother to stay.тАЭ

тАЬPearls.тАЭ All at once he grinned. тАЬPearls both black and white, mother of pearl and fine shells of all sorts,
the best and the rarest for the jewelers of Bardek. And they quarry the black obsidian, too, to send
home, and catch the parrots and other rare birds to delight the fine ladies of Surtinna. Merchant ships sail
back and forth all the time, trading for their wares.тАЭ

тАЬNothing but a lot of trinkets, if you ask me.тАЭ

тАЬTrinkets have made men rich before. Of course, a lot of men have died out here, too. The seaтАЩs bounty
demands its price.тАЭ

тАЬIf itтАЩs that dangerous, maybe you should just take the troupe home now.тАЭ