"Mercedes Lackey - Owl Mage 2 - Owlsight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

dye.
The samples they dunked in the dye became gratifying shades of scarlet, and no amount of rinsing
in the water heтАЩd provided would take the color out. As Shandi sucked in her breath with excitement,
Keisha brought the threads up to her nose until she was nearly cross-eyed, examining every crevice and
crack to see if the dye was тАЬtakingтАЭ evenly. Finally, she pronounced judgment.
 тАЬI think it will fade eventually, but it will take years as long as you keep the color out of the sun,тАЭ
she told both the merchant and her sister. тАЬDyeing with distilled spirits will be tricky, maybe dangerous,
what with the fumes being flammable - worse for someone doing large batches of thread and yarn than
for you, Shandi - but this is probably the best red IтАЩve ever seen.тАЭ She turned her attention to the тАЬpod,тАЭ
and picked it up to peer at it. тАЬJust what is this thing?тАЭ
тАЬA snail,тАЭ the merchant said gleefully. тАЬAnd no one would ever have noticed what secret this little
creature held if Terthorn hadnтАЩt tried to cook them in white wine. IтАЩm the only one he told, and I got him
to promise me an exclusive market.тАЭ
Shandi had to laugh at that. тАЬSo TerthornтАЩs famous palate and cooking experiments finally have
some use! I suppose we should just be glad he didnтАЩt try to cook them in red wine!тАЭ
The dye-merchant laughed, тАЬOh, now heтАЩd never have done that! HavenтАЩt we heard him say a
thousand times that no one with any real taste would cook snails in red wine?тАЭ
KeishaтАЩs thoughts were more practical. тАЬSo exactly how much are you going to part us from for
this wonder?тАЭ she asked dubiously. She knew it wasnтАЩt going to be cheap; not as strong a red as this, nor
one as colorfast. She also knew Shandi would take it at any price, and was just fervently glad that it was
this merchant who had the supply, not one of the other two.
тАЬFor you, Shandi, IтАЩll trade it weight-for-weight in silver.тАЭ Keisha tried not to wince, but the price
was fair. If he had any sense, when he got the stuff into civilized lands, heтАЩd trade it weight-for-weight in
gold.
Shandi grimaced, but didnтАЩt argue when Keisha didnтАЩt. тАЬFair enough,тАЭ she said bravely, and dug
out four silver coins, placing them on one side of his scales. He crumbled dye into the pan on the other
side until they leveled off equal, then winked again, and crumbled a bit more into the pan. He pocketed
the coins, then tilted the pan of dye into a paper cone, tapping it to get every crumb into the container.
With a little bow, he handed the precious packet to Shandi, who twisted the open end of the cone tight
and put it carefully into her pouch.
тАЬIтАЩll tell you something else, young ladies,тАЭ he said, as they were about to move on, тАЬI havenтАЩt
looked any further than to get the scarlet. If you can tell me how to get a deep, fast purple as good as
the red out of that, IтАЩll halve the price if you give me an exclusive from here on.тАЭ
KeishaтАЩs eyebrows both went up. тАЬReally,тАЭ was all she replied, but her mind was already on
changing the mordant, adding other possible ingredients, experimenting with double-dyeing with indigo.
BarlenтАЩs look told her that heтАЩd all but seen her thoughts written on her forehead. тАЬIf anyone can
do it,тАЭ he continued with a wave, тАЬyou two can. Oh, and Keisha, you ought to go talk to Steelmind; he
came to market by himself, and I think heтАЩs got some seeds you might be interested in.тАЭ
тАЬReally!тАЭ she exclaimed, as Shandi headed straight for the Fellowship booth, one hand
protectively cupped over her pouch. тАЬThanks, Harlen!тАЭ
тАЬNo problem.тАЭ Another villager approached the booth, and Barlen turned his attention to the
potential new customer. Keisha moved along to the shaded arbor next to the new Temple that the
Hawkbrothers used as a booth when they came to ErroldтАЩs Grove.
Normally Hawkbrothers only appeared for the quarterly Faire market days, and when they
came, they came in force, with a half-dozen bead-and-feather-bedecked traders and their fierce-looking
birds of prey. They took over the arbor and put up a pavilion as well, and traders buzzed around them
like bees at a honey pot, for the things they brought, though (aside from a few items) never predictable,
were always fantastic. Sometimes it was lengths of silk fabric in impossible colors and patterns,
sometimes it was trims and ribbons made of the same silks and silk embroidery thread that girls saved for
their wedding dresses. They had been known to bring jewelry, glassware, odd spices and incense, vials