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

and out, where a wooden staircase listed against the outside wall and led up to a doorway and a spill of
light from lanterns hanging from the ceiling. At the top, just inside the open door, a toothless old woman,
her hair dyed sunset-orange with henna and her gnarled fingers covered with cheap rings, sat on a
high-backed chair and made a desultory pretense of spinning wool.

тАЬTake him down to the end, Avra love. The one with the windowтАЩs free,тАЭ she said, yawning. тАЬGods,
things are busy tonight, eh?тАЭ

Soot-stained wickerwork partitions cut the top story of the building up into a warren of tiny cubicles that
reeked of spilled ale and sweat and other humidities, but somehow the squalor matched the whoreтАЩs
sweaty breasts and tousled hair, as if they were all ingredients in some strange but potent sexual spell.
When she pulled aside a dirty blanket to reveal a tiny cubicle with nothing but a straw mattress on the
floor, he ducked in after her, caught her round the waist, and kissed her hard, his hands digging into her
back.

тАЬOh, this could be nice,тАЭ she murmured. тАЬI like a man whoтАЩs a little bit rough, if you take my meaning,
like.тАЭ

When he slapped her across the buttocks, she giggled and reached up to kiss him in turn.

тАЬAvra!тАЭ It was the croneтАЩs voice, as harsh as a crow. тАЬAvra, you come out here right now, you little
wench! ThereтАЩs Caer the blacksmith here, and he swears you stole a silver out of his pockets!тАЭ

тАЬMay a demon shit in his eye!тАЭ Avra yelled. тАЬDid naught of the sort, you old harpy!тАЭ

тАЬHeтАЩs threatening to bust up the place, he is! You get your ugly ass out here now!тАЭ

тАЬYouтАЩd best go.тАЭ Branoic was wishing he could strangle the old hag and be done with her. тАЬIтАЩll wait.
You look worth waiting for.тАЭ

тАЬMy thanks, and IтАЩll say the same for you. Open the shutters for a bit of air, will you, love?тАЭ This last as
she was leaving: тАЬIтАЩm on my way, sow-tits!тАЭ

Shrieking at each other they moved off down the hall, where their voices were met by an angry
masculine bellow. With some care for the rotting leather hinges, Branoic opened the shutters and stuck
his head out to breathe the nightтАЩs cool. Down below in the stableyard, in pockets of lantern light men
were standing around, drinking, singing, or merely laughing together at some jest or another. When a
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woman giggled behind him he pulled his head in, hoping for Avra back again, but the sound was coming
from the other side of the rickety partition to his right. Although he could hear a woman plain enough, the
man with her was talking in a rumbling dark voice, and he couldnтАЩt understand a word.

тАЬI learned it from a Bardek sailor,тАЭ she went on, giggling. тАЬAnd youтАЩve never felt anything like this
before, I swear it. Oh, come along, five extra coppers canтАЩt be much to a man like you.тАЭ

The rumble sounded skeptical.