"Mercedes Lackey - Brightly Burning" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

relax and wait for the pain to go away.
The herbs in the bag gave off a pleasant scent; he didnтАЩt know enough about them to identify
them, but they were nice. The sounds of the servants going about their business came up to him, muffled
by the closed door. One of the girls sang to herself as she swept, a simpleminded love song that was very
popular just now. Lan would have preferred something bleaker, to match his mood, but he wasnтАЩt about
to get up to make a request.
Down in the distant kitchen, the cook bellowed and pots and pans clattered; distant enough not
to be irritating. Outside, the occasional horse or mule passing by was all he heard of the sparse traffic this
time of day. Later, as suppertime neared, there would be more noise outside; sometimes even a great
deal of noise if one of the neighbors got a large delivery.
His headache responded to the heat; it lessened to a dull ache just behind his eyes and in the
back of his head. As the pain faded, he wished he could sleep, but his thoughts were too restless and
wouldnтАЩt be still.
There was more trouble ahead of him; every day was colder and shorter. How long would it be
before the Sixth Formers could no longer pursue their after-school entertainments? HeтАЩd heard them
speak of court tennis, of fencing lessons, of riding in the fashionable Leeside Park, before they all went
off in a mob. None of those things would be comfortable or possible in a bitter rain or with snow on the
ground. And then what would they do for sport?
As if I need to think about it. TheyтАЩll go hunting for sport at school, of course.
The subject made him feel sick all over again, and strengthened his headache.
I hate them, I hate them, I hate them! he thought fiercely, his hands clenching in the coverlet. If
they keep on coming at me, IтАЩll kill them, I will!
Really? asked a dry voice in his mind. You, undersized and outnumbered, youтАЩre no threat to
them. You canтАЩt even stop them from pushing you around. How do you propose even to impress
them enough to leave you alone?
He couldnтАЩt; he knew he couldnтАЩt and that frustration was as bad or worse than the anger.
Why couldnтАЩt they leave him alone? He was nothing to them; he was less than nothing. He
wanted so badly to batter those smug faces, to pound Tyron until his fists hurt. Not a chance, not a
chance in the world that it would happen. Even if he could get Tyron alone, he wouldnтАЩt stand a chance
against someone so much bigger and stronger than Lan was. Not someone who was so fit and athletic.
No matter what sort of fighting Lan learned or practiced, Tyron would always be ahead of him by virtue
of his inches and muscles.
Footsteps outside his door warned him someone was coming, so when the door opened, he
pulled the hot-bag off his eyes and turned his head to see who it was.
тАЬYour teacher seems to think that youтАЩre ill, or becoming ill,тАЭ Nelda said, giving him the same
critical glare that the housekeeper had. Today she was gowned in an amber brown with bands of her
own embroidery around the hems.
тАЬMy head hurts,тАЭ he said simply. тАЬA lot.тАЭ
His mother came to his bedside and tested his forehead with the inside of her wrist, then tested
the hot-bag. тАЬYouтАЩre hotter than the compress; youтАЩve got a fever. There is something going around they
tell me,тАЭ she admitted with a slight frown. тАЬYour teacher seems to think you should stay home for a few
days and study on your own.тАЭ
A few days? It was more of a reprieve than he had ever thought he would get! But if I look too
eager, she might send me back tomorrow.
He closed his eyes as a jolt of pain lanced across his head from left to right. He certainly didnтАЩt
have to feign that. тАЬIтАЩll try, Mother,тАЭ he said truthfully. тАЬIf you think I should stay home-but if you donтАЩt
want me to, I wonтАЩt.тАЭ
That must have been the right thing to say. тАЬYou must be sick,тАЭ she said reluctantly. тАЬAll right; IтАЩll
have your meals brought up on a tray, and weтАЩll keep you home for a while. тАЬThereтАЩs no point in
spreading whatever youтАЩve caught to the rest of the family.тАЭ She pursed her lips as Lan looked up at her.