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

out of everyoneтАЩs way.

Her own chamber held a single bed, a dower chest, one horribly faded tapestry on the wall, and the
bottom of a cracked ale barrel that the carpenter had sawn down for her, ostensibly to make a bed for
her dolls, but in reality for Melynna, a very pregnant ginger cat, whom Bellyra had found starving in the
stables with a paw hurt badly enough to keep her from hunting. By now the paw was healing, and she
was sleek again from being fed as many times a day as the princess could beg or steal food for her, but
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Bellyra hated to give her up, and Melynna certainly saw no reason to leave. As soon as Bellyra put the
liver scraps down on the floor she lumbered out of her bed, lined with a torn-up linen shift that the
princess had outgrown, and settled in for a good bloody munch.

тАЬHowтАЩs your basket of sand? Not too dirty? Good. When your kits are born, weтАЩre going to have
trouble hiding them, arenтАЩt we? Well, IтАЩll think of some clever plan then. I donтАЩt want anybody drowning
any of them.тАЭ

Melynna looked up, licked a whisker, and purred a throaty thanks.

Just outside the bedchamber, right by a window, was BellyraтАЩs writing table, with her pot of ink, her
stylus, and her pens laid out in a neat row. She laid the book down next to them, then sat on her stool
and looked out the window at the main ward and the great iron-bound gates (built in 724 by Glyn the
FirstтАЩs father, Gwerbret Ladoic), which were standing open to reveal the city street beyond. The iron
hinges and reinforcements were rusty and pittedтАФiron did pit, in CerrmorтАЩs salt air.

тАЬItтАЩs all very well for Elyc to talk of putting in a portcullis,тАЭ she said to the cat. тАЬBut where, pray tell, are
the blacksmiths going to get the metal for it?тАЭ

At that precise moment, just like an omen sent by the gods, servants began running toward the gates and
shouting in welcome. With an enormous rumble and clatter, ox cart after ox cart pulled into the ward, and
from her high perch Bellyra could see that they were loaded to the brim with rough-smelted iron ingots.
All round swarmed mounted riders, some mercenary troop, she supposed, hired to guard this precious
cargo on its long, slow journey down from the north. She felt her heart pounding as she rose.

тАЬO dear Goddess, do let it be an omen. It would be a splendid one, coming just like that. O dear
Goddess, I do want to live to grow up.тАЭ

She felt the tears pressing behind her eyes, hot and shameful. With a toss of her head she willed them
away and ran for the door and the staircase. She should be in the great hall to welcome the merchants
whoтАЩd brought her this treasure, she decided, be there and smile upon them and show them her favor, so
theyтАЩd feel well rewarded beyond the coin her chamberlain would pay over.

By the time she reached the great hall, Tieryn Elyc, Lord Tarnmael the chamberlain, the seneschal, and
the two stewards were already standing round the table of honor, up on the dais, with three merchants in
checked brigga, two quite young, the other very old indeed, with a mop of thick white hair and a face as
lined as an old burlap sack. Since everyone was arguing about paying for the iron no one noticed her
make her entrance. Down on the floor of the hall servants rushed frantically round, trying to assemble