"Mercedes Lackey - Valdemar Anthology - Sun in Glory" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

Another rumble of thunder and one last call. CatтАЩs been out in the rain before, he thought,
and likely will be again. Trust to the Goddess to keep him safe.
Shutting the door, Reulan slipped into bed, blessed himself with thoughts of the God he
served, and blew out the candle. One last prayer for the safety of the cat crossed his mind,
and then he fell asleep, the thunder now overhead and the rain beating down on his roof.
***
Long years of training and practice woke Reulan the next morning before dawn, though
with his windows shuttered the interior of his room was dark as night. He reached for the
candle on his bedside table and froze in place. A light purr sounded from the end of his bed
and the by now familiar weight of the cat shifted ever so slightly beside ReulanтАЩs feet. A chill
ran up ReulanтАЩs spine as he lit the candle and discovered the cat busily engrossed in his
morning bath. A quick glance to both windows revealed that the wind had not blown them
open during the night, and that the door remained securely shut. How, in the name of
Vkandis Sunlord, had the cat managed to get inside?
тАЬYouтАЩre the oddest fellow IтАЩve ever had the occasion to meet,тАЭ Reulan said, reaching
down to scratch his bedmate behind the ears, the sound of his own voice helping dispel the
strangeness of the situation. тАЬYou must have run in between my feet last night without my
knowing it, no?тАЭ The cat merely yawned, showing sharp white teeth and pink tongue.
Reulan stretched, rose from bed and opened his windows and door. The storm had
indeed cleared the air and, this high in the hills, even in summer the morning was bracingly
cool. The cat rubbed up against his ankles, meowed pitifully as if he had not eaten in days,
and planted himself in the chair he had claimed for his own. Reulan washed his face from
the bucket on the cupboard, dried off, and donned his vestments. The rising sun celebration
was close at hand; he left his room, crossed the small chapel and threw open the doors at
its west end. Then, standing before the altar, he closed his eyes, opened his mind to the
glory of the God, and waited for first light to strike the windows above his head.
He felt a bump against his leg and quickly opened his eyes. The cat sat beside him,
facing the altar, proper as any worshiping villager. At first, this had somehow bothered
Reulan, but he believed that Vkandis cared for all creatures, that any who wished to worship
the God should be welcome at his altar. Reulan heard the village farmers arriving and
sensed them standing in silent meditation as the first rays of sun struck the windows above.
Lifting his hands, Reulan spoke the words of Morning Greeting.
тАЬVkandis Sunlord, Giver of Life and Light, be with us today. We praise you, we honor
you, we keep you in our hearts and minds. What is good and true, help us to do and
become. What is hateful and cruel, aid us in denying. We offer this day to you, Sunlord, and
seek your blessings on all that we do.тАЭ
тАЬMay it be so,тАЭ responded the voices behind him.
Reulan extinguished the candle that had lit the chapel during the night and turned to
face his congregation. тАЬGo forth to daylight, knowing the God is by your side.тАЭ
The farmers bowed their heads briefly, smiled at Reulan, and silently filed out of the
chapel to their various fields and gardens. Once again, the cat rubbed up against his legs,
meowing pitifully.
тАЬBreakfast, eh? What would you like this morning, sir cat? I have only what IтАЩve given
you in the past-sausage. IтАЩd think youтАЩd grow tired of it.тАЭ
The cat looked up and, for a brief moment, Reulan could have sworn he heard a voice
saying, тАЬWell, if you must ask, IтАЩd really rather have fish.тАЭ
 He laughed quietly, amused that he had assigned spoken words to an animal, and
returned to his room and his morning meal, the cat following close behind.
***
Being a sun-priest in a small village required not only knowledge of the ways of