"Naomi Kritzer - Eliena 1 - Fires Of The Faithful" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kritzer Naomi)

тАЬMaybe sheтАЩs in love with one of the boy students,тАЭ Giula said.

тАЬHow would she have met him?тАЭ I asked. We were kept well separated
from the boys at the conservatory. The only place we were even allowed in
the same room with them was the chapel. This encouraged a high degree
of religious observance among girls like Celia.

тАЬThat canтАЩt be it,тАЭ Bella said. тАЬMaybe she had a lover in Cuore, and she
hopes sheтАЩs pregnant by him.тАЭ

тАЬWhy would she have left, then?тАЭ Giula asked.

file:///C|/Downloads/Kritzer,%20Naomi%20-%20Eliana%...Eliana%2001]%20-%20Fires%20of%20the%20Faithful.html (24 of 400)08/02/2006 11:47:46
FIRES OF THE FAITHFUL - NAOMI KRITZER


тАЬThatтАЩs obvious,тАЭ Bella said. тАЬShe was an initiate, wasnтАЩt she? Maybe the
boy wasnтАЩt.тАЭ

тАЬStill,тАЭ I said. тАЬWhy would she leave Cuore?тАЭ

тАЬMaybe ...тАЭ Bella closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. тАЬThis is getting
too complicated. Even if the relationship ended badly, if she has any
reason to think sheтАЩs pregnant, then coming back to Verdia would just be
stupid.тАЭ

Celia tossed her hair back. тАЬClearly, youтАЩve never been in love.тАЭ

BellaтАЩs eyes narrowed and she smiled slowly at Celia, letting CeliaтАЩs words
hang in the air as a pink flush crept slowly upward from the gray wool
collar of CeliaтАЩs robe. тАЬIf I risk being expelled from the conservatory,тАЭ Bella
said, тАЬI want it to be for a manтАФnot a boy. But to each her own.тАЭ

тАЬWhatтАЩs that supposed to mean?тАЭ Celia said.

Bella had started to turn back to her tea, but when Celia got defensive, she
took that as an invitation to twist the knife a little more. тАЬWhy would it
mean anything?тАЭ she asked. тАЬI think your devotion to the Lady is very
touching, Celia.тАЭ

Celia went white. Naturally, she attended chapel daily to flirt with the boys
there, but Bella meant something else, and Celia knew it. Magery was the
LadyтАЩs gift to humanity, but it decreased fertility. To counteract this
tendency, the Lady encouraged Her children to try to make children of
their own as frequently as possible. Of course, the Lady didnтАЩt want
conservatory students having babiesтАФour celibacy, like the sterility of the
Circle, increased the fertility of everyone else. But, still. тАЬHonoring the
LadyтАЭ was a popular euphemism for the sort of thing that happened
secretly on summer nights in the shadows of the practice hallsтАФand that