"Naomi Kritzer - Dead Rivers 3 - Freedom's Sisters" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kritzer Naomi)

тАЬItтАЩs good to see you, too.тАЭ Janiya clasped my hand. тАЬI wishтАжтАЭ She let the words fade. I thought sheтАЩd probably
meant to say that she wished she could see Lauria, too.

тАЬWhy does the eldress want to see me?тАЭ

Janiya shrugged. I thought she probably knew but wasnтАЩt supposed to say. My guess was that this was about the
slaves Lauria and I had freed and brought up. Well, the mine slaves really had freed themselves. I had nothing to
apologize for. I chewed my lip, wondering if the eldress would like that argument. тАЬHow are the others from the
sisterhood?тАЭ I asked. тАЬMaydan, is she recovering?тАЭ Maydan had been badly injured in a fight with bandits, late
last summer.

тАЬYes. Very slowly. She had to learn to walk again, as if she was a child, but sheтАЩs still Maydan. She hasnтАЩt
forgotten anything about healing, but her hands are very clumsy right now. SheтАЩs frustrated, as IтАЩm sure you can
imagine. SheтАЩs staying with the clan for the summer, not going out with our sisterhood. WeтАЩll have a different
healer.тАЭ

I felt a rush of longing at JaniyaтАЩs wordsтАФgoing out with our sisterhood. I pushed the thought away. I belonged
with Lauria.

Janiya glanced over at the eldressтАЩs tent, then stood. тАЬItтАЩs time,тАЭ she said.

The inside of the tent was dim and cool. For a few moments, I couldnтАЩt see. When Lauria and I had arrived a year
ago, we had been brought to the eldress, who had listened to our story and accepted us as тАЬblossoms,тАЭ provisional
members. This time, eight old ladies and five old men sat in a circle. The eldress I had met a year ago sat across
from the door on a pile of cushions. Braided white hair wound around her head. She wore a long dress, a vest so
covered in embroidery I could barely make out the black cloth underneath, and a necklace that looked like a spell-
chain, though when I looked for a piece of karenite that would imprison a djinn, I didnтАЩt see one. These had to be
the clan elders. Janiya and I bowed respectfully. The eldress pointed to a spot near the door and Janiya and I sat
down.

тАЬGood afternoon, child,тАЭ the eldress said, her voice kinder than I expected. тАЬYouтАЩve come a long way since I met
you a year ago.тАЭ

I didnтАЩt know what to say to that, so I nodded, then said, тАЬYes, maтАЩam.тАЭ

тАЬI apologize for bringing you back against your will. Zhanna has told me the information that you and your blood
sister have passed to her, but I wished to speak with you face-to-face.тАЭ She fingered her necklace. тАЬZhanna said
that when your blood sister was trying to bind djinni, you were able to stop her. Is this true?тАЭ

This was not the question I had expected. тАЬFor a little while,тАЭ I said. тАЬFirst I slapped her with a wet rag, so she
hid from me. So then I went to the borderland and waited for her there. I was able to force her back out. Though


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later she tried again and was able to do it.тАЭ

Murmurs, around the circle.