"Naomi Kritzer - Turning the Storm" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kritzer Naomi)

with swords and crossbows."
"Think you can get Giovanni to train them?" Lucia asked. "If you give them the
swords without training they'll only trip over them in battle."
"I could try making Felice do it," I said.
"Think he'll be any better than Michel? Or Giovanni?"
"Could he be any worse?" I said. "Don't answer that. I suppose I should go spring him
from the stockade. What else do I still need to take care of?"
Lucia considered. "Five more people who want you to mediate disputes."
"Oh, forтАФ Can't you do it?"
She shook her head. "They specifically requested you. Look, at least they aren't
fighting."
"Right, I know. Fine. Later, before the scouts get back. Was that it?"
"That's all," Lucia said.
"In that case ..." I stretched. "I'm going to visit Felice."
The stockade was really just a fenced area with two guards standing over it. The fence
was a flimsy, makeshift affair; any determined prisoner could escape by uprooting a fence
stake and running. Most of the time, when I tossed someone in the stockade it was more
for the symbolic humiliation than actual confinement.
I expected Felice to greet me with a glare, but he merely looked sad and hurt. "I had
no idea you'd take it like this," he said when I arrived.
"Then you were poorly briefed."
"Is this really necessary?" He gestured at the fence and the guards. "I promise not to
try to take away your army."
"I don't think you'd be able to," I said. "I had you locked up because you're a stranger
and you might be here to cause trouble. Why should I trust you? I was never one of the
official reformers of Cuore; I don't know the passwords and countersigns that so
thoroughly impressed Giovanni." I stepped close to the fence, noticing that Felice was
sweating. "Why should I trust you?"
Felice placed his hands flat against the fence posts. "Signora Generale," he said. "I may
be soft and I may be weak compared to you and your men. The orders I was sent with
may betray a terrible arrogance on the part of my leaders. But the fire that burns in my
heart springs from the same flame as the fire in yours. My brothers were among those
murdered by the Circle to keep secret the devastation caused by magefire. And I will do
whatever it takes to bring them down." He met my eyes with urgent sincerity. "Let me
fight with you, Generale. You won't regret it."
"Well," I said. I uprooted a fence post and gestured that he could step out of the prison.
"Welcome to my army." I fitted the post back into the ground and started to walk away.
"Wait," Felice said. I turned back. "What do I do now?"
"That's for you to figure out, isn't it?" His look was so pitiful I relented. "Fine. Report
toтАФoh, you can be in Paulo's unit." I flagged down Vitale. "Escort Felice here to Paulo. Do
you know how to use a sword for anything other than jewelry, Felice?"
"Of course," he said.
"Tell Paulo that Felice will be helping him with arms training." With any luck, Felice
would be better at it than Michel. Vitale saluted and marched Felice off.



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