"Mercedes Lackey - Enduring Flame 01 - The Phoenix Unchained" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

their last child. Everything would have worked out very well if he had been, for that would have
meant one for the sea, one for the landтАФin this case, the Customs HouseтАФand the youngest child
to follow in his father's footsteps and be trained up to assume his position, as was the tradition in
the Gillain family. Brelt Gillain absolutely loved everything to do with the work of being
Harbormaster: the details, the diplomacy, the need to have the customs and rules not only of
Armethalieh the Golden, but of every land she traded with, constantly at the forefront of his mind.

But then Harrier had been born. And later this year, when Harrier graduated Armethalieh Normal
School, he would come to work as Apprentice Harbormaster, and Brelt would move over to the
Customs House to begin an apprenticeship under Eugens. It really didn't seem fair. But as Brelt had
told Harrier cheerfully, Harrier was even less suited to the Customs House than he was to being
Apprentice Harbormaster. Brelt assured him he would be happy enough in the Customs House.
Much of the work was similar, after all.

Harrier knew that Brelt was right. And both of them loved the Port and the DocksтАФthey'd grown up
there, having been brought to work by their father from the time either of them could walk. It was
just that Harrier knew, deep down inside, that Brelt had the potential to be a far better
Harbormaster than he would ever be. Brelt was glib and diplomatic, and always knew the right
thing to say.

Harrier? Well, even Harrier's best friends called him stubborn.

But Da is a good man, and a smart man. He'll do what's best for the City. If I am a hopeless apprentice,
why, he'll see that He'll have Brelt back out of the Customs House so fast it'll steal the wind from the
sails of every ship from here to the Out Islands. And then...

What then? Harrier certainly couldn't take Brelt's place in the Customs House.

Well, Da will think of something. And today's too fine a day to worry about something that's moontums
and moonturns away. Not with a whole sennight of holiday from lessons, and me with a day of liberty
from chores.

In fact, Harrier not only had a day of liberty, he had a day of exile, since he'd been strictly banished
from his own home, forbidden to return before Evensong Bells. His mother had assured him that
the preparations for his Naming Day party would proceed much more smoothly in his absence. And
so, as he often did, Harrier went seeking his best friend to share his rare day of freedom with.

HARRIER'S household rose at First Dawn BellsтАФeven though his father, as Portmaster, was one of
the most important men in the City, Antarans Gillain's family still kept Tradesmen's hours. Harrier
knew that in contrast to his family's habits, most of the rest of the CityтАФespecially the
NobilityтАФpreferred to lie abed and miss the best part of the day. But even though the Rolforts were
members of the NobilityтАФminor nobility, Tiercel always corrected him, whenever he mentioned
itтАФthe Rolfort household stirred to wakefulness only a bell after Harrier's did, for even during

Festival Sennight, when the Port was quiet, and many of the shops were closed, the administration
of the City must go on. As he headed in the direction of the Rolfort townhouse, only two Bells after
his own awakening, Harrier was confident he would not only find them all awake, but that Lord
Rolfort would already have departed for the day to his duties in Chief Magistrate Vaunnel's office.

When Harrier reached his destination, he took a moment to admire the Festival Sennight