"Mindy L. Klasky - Glasswright Journeyman" - читать интересную книгу автора (Klasky Mindy L)

Far-sobalinti jumping to attention in the outer room, and she saw a dark flutter that certainly
was Mair, ducking into a shadowed corner of the antechamber. Before Rani could be certain,
Hal slammed the door closed.

"What in the name of the Thousand Gods do you think you're doing?"

"What did you think you were gaining by making that poor old man walk all the way down
the hall? You could have let the Holy Father use the garderobe in the inner room." Rani
gestured toward the door that led to Hal's private apartments.

"I wanted them down the hall so that they didn't hear me order you back to your chamber
like the manipulative child you're acting tonight."

"You're not ordering me anywhere! You don't know what you're doing here. You need me!"

"For what? To exaggerate and lie? To lead them to the conclusion that I don't need their help
at all? To let them decide that all of Moren can die of firelung?"

"My lord, they know you're desperate. Anyone who's walked through the city knows that
you've lost more than half of Moren. Your people are dying. They're starving and they're sick.
Your borders are bracing for an attack like peasants fearing wolves. You need the church's
help."

"And you think I'm going to get it by boasting of my supposed wealth?"

"We have to boast of something!" Rani's voice broke as she shouted out the last word, and she
forced herself to lower her voice. "We have to come to them from a position of strength. You
know that. You're just afraid, because of the fire, because of all that we have lost. My lord, the
fire was not a judgment upon you. It was not some vengeance of all the gods. It was an
accident , and now we have to make things right."

"I'm not sure I believe it was an accident. I heard a new rumor today, Ranita Glasswright, one
that I chose not to share with our religious leaders."

Her blood was chilled by his using her guild name. He never called her that. "And what was
that?"

"I heard that the fire started on the grounds of the old glass-wrights' guild. I heard that it was
set to teach all future glass-wrights a lesson. To teach the crown a lesson for consorting with
the guild that cost Morenia her rightful king."

The accusation stole Rani's breath away, and she could do nothing but gape for several
heartbeats. She had fought that battle. She had paid dearly to clear her name, to salvage the
reputation of her guild, to identify the true killers of Prince Tu-vashanoran. "My lord, you
cannot believeтАФ"

"I'm telling you what I hear, Rani. And if I'm hearing it, you can be certain that the church is,
too. Just think of how they could use that tale, if they decide that you hold too much power in
my court. Even you should understand enough statesmanship to understand the danger."
"EvenтАФ," she started to repeat, shocked by the scorn in Hal's voice.