"Mercedes Lackey - Last Herald Mage 2 - Magic's Promise" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

:Because - I wasn't sure. I've been wrong about things so many times -
and I didn't really want to think about it. Shavri told me once that she was
afraid that Randale's sterility was a symptom of something worse. I didn't
know what to say, so I told her not to worry about it. But now -you know how
sensitive I am; follow my line to Rondale - :
Vanyel could тАЬfeelтАЭ every Herald and Herald-Mage in Haven, all tied to him
by a kind of tenuous network of lines of life-energy, with every identity as plain
to him as if he could see the faces. Most Herald-Mages could follow the line to
anyone who had shared magic with them; Vanyel could follow the line of
anyone who had тАЬshared magicтАЭ just by virtue of being a Herald. He had the
line that led to Randale without even thinking about it, and тАЬfeltтАЭ Yfandes
follow it down with him, Seeing what he Saw.
:There's-something not right,: she said, after a moment's study.
Something out of balance. Physically, not mentally or emotionally. But I can't
tell what it is. :
:Exactly,: he agreed. :I felt it as soon as we came in; he wasn't like that
when we left. I wish I was a Healer-Adept like Moondance k'Treva or even
little Brightstar. They're much better at understanding imbalances than I am.:
He rubbed his forehead, his headache starting again.
:I don't think I will ever forget the look on Shavri's face!, when you told her
this wasn't the first time you'd done someone the favor of тАУ uh - stud service.:
Yfandes' mind-voice colored yellow with laughter, and he was just as pleased
to change the subject.
:Moondance and Starwind wanted a child to raise, and neither of them can
function with a female,: he reminded her, :and Snowlight was willing to have
twins, one for her, one for them.:
 :You certainly produce lovely children.:
:Brightstar is a good lad,: he said, shyly. :TheyтАЩre rightly proud of him - and
that's their doing, not mine. But I'm beginning to think I ought to rent myself
out. Do you think I could command the same fees as a Shin'a'in stud?:
:Oh, at least,: she giggled, as he reached for pen and paper. :Double if
your Gift and beautiful silver eyes breed true!:
He smothered a chuckle, and turned all his attention to the reply the page
was waiting for. Dearest friends; of course I'm coming by. Don't you realize
that you're my last taste of sanity before I spend the fall with my lunatic
family?
He sealed this last note and handed them all to the page to take away. He
stood and hauled the packs over to his bed, resisting the temptation to throw
himself there instead of his belongings, and began sorting out the items he'd
need for his visit home.
There was an awful lot of money in there - money he didn't remember
getting, but it all seemed to be in those silly little sealed тАЬstipendтАЭ bags, most
of them still unopened. At least a half-dozen. Then again - he hadn't had
much to spend it on, going from post to post like a madman, never getting
regular meals, seldom sleeping in a real bed. He combined all the bags into
one, and tossed the empties onto the table for the servants to collect. Then
had second thoughts, and added some coins to the pile of empty bags. No
harm in leaving a little something for the ones who kept things picked up for
him; they did a good job. They could have just sealed the room up until he
returned, but they kept it open and aired, even though that meant extra work.