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

The farmer simply stared, oblivious to ReulanтАЩs attempted humor. тАЬMaybe so,
sunтАЩs-ray, but heтАЩs one blessed big cat.тАЭ He dipped his head again. тАЬSunlord guard you on
your journey.тАЭ
тАЬAnd bless you and your endeavors,тАЭ Reulan replied automatically, sketching the Holy
Disk symbol to include them all.
He turned away and set out on the road again, Khar trotting along at his side. Once he
was out of hearing range, he glanced down at the cat. тАЬYouтАЩve grown again,тАЭ he accused,
shifting his pack on his shoulders to a more comfortable position. тАЬAnd donтАЩt try to deny it.тАЭ
:Perhaps,: Khar replied. :But maybe youтАЩre only seeing better.:
Reulan made a face. тАЬInscrutable as always, sir cat. I must admit youтАЩre beginning to
make me nervous.тАЭ
If a cat could snort derisively, Khar did just that. :Spoken by a man who for days now
has been conversing with a тАЬdumbтАЭ animal.:
A faint blush heated ReulanтАЩs cheeks. тАЬMaybe so, Khar, but somethingтАЩs going on here
that I donтАЩt understand. Why did you тАШadoptтАЩ me ? And, for the love of the Lord of Light, how is
it that you talk?тАЭ
Khar flicked his tail in high good humor. :YouтАЩve been initiated into mysteries, Priest
Reulan. And aside from your initial shock, youтАЩve adapted very well. Who better to ask for
fish?:
***
Three days into his journey, Reulan found the road becoming more crowded. No longer
did he simply meet farmers going out to their fields, or the occasional horse-drawn cart filled
with vegetables headed off to market somewhere. Now he shared the road with
well-dressed folk who rode horseback, or those who walked in groups, all seemingly
headed to Sunhame for the Summer Solstice. As the riders passed, bowing in their saddles
to a sun-priest, he had to endure their comments about the size and beauty of the cat at his
side. A few even made offers of purchase, proposing sums that made ReulanтАЩs head spin.
As for Khar, despite his dissembling, he had continued to grow. The farmers outside
Faroaks should see him now, Reulan thought. Though he had become somewhat
accustomed (if that word fairly described his state of mind) to KharтАЩs company and to
sharing conversations with what everyone else deemed a speechless animal, he felt he
somehow skirted the edge of mystery.
 That evening, stopping in a large village, he once again sought out the local sun-priest,
arriving just in time for the lighting of the Night Candle. He knew the priest here very well; his
former master Beckor had apprenticed Jaskhi at one time, before ReulanтАЩs entry into the
priesthood. Reulan and Jaskhi had become close friends after Beckor had died, the young
priest turning to the older man for wisdom and support.
тАЬSo, Reulan,тАЭ Jaskhi said, dinner over and the two of them sitting for a moment in the
well-lit room behind JaskhiтАЩs chapel. Khar had curled up at ReulanтАЩs feet, purring like
approaching thunder. тАЬYouтАЩre making your pilgrimage, eh? Better early than late, I say.
YouтАЩve timed your journey well, my friend. You should arrive in Sunhame the morning of the
Summer Solstice. All the inns will be full, but you can always find a place to sleep at the
Temple.тАЭ
тАЬUnless itтАЩs too full of quarreling priests,тАЭ Reulan murmured.
тАЬAh, that!тАЭ Jaskhi waved a dismissive hand. тАЬWhen Vkandis wills, theyтАЩll find their
choice obvious. And what better day for that to happen than Summer Solstice? I envy you,
Reulan. To be present at such an event is something no one would ever forget.тАЭ He ran a
hand through his hair. тАЬNow, tell me about your cat.тАЭ
Reulan sighed. If one more person asked him about Khar, he thought he would choke.
By this time, however, he had come up with a story of how Khar had тАЬadoptedтАЭ him he could