"Jay Lake - To Live Forever" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lake Jay)

body, victim of a murder two centuries past. With a great shudder, Gestas began to
stab himself with the Child trap, in his chest, his groin, his left shoulder.

Ahasuerus grabbed GestasтАЩ gloved right hand. тАЬWhat in name of all good
sense are you doing?тАЭ the smith screamed.

тАЬDriving out the Children.тАЭ Gestas sobbed, breath coming in great, ragged
gasps. Blood streamed from the wounds on his body, white threads wiggling
outward with the flow. тАЬI will be my own man if it kills me!тАЭ

тАЬNo.тАЭ Dismas grabbed GestasтАЩ hand, taking the iron spike through his own
hand until they were trapped together. Father and son, the two men strained for
control. тАЬYou will not die now, for this.тАЭ

тАЬDismas,тАЭ croaked Merry Jack from where he lay on the street. тАЬYou never
did leave.тАЭ He laughed, more of a burbling cough. тАЬNeither did your sister.тАЭ

Dismas wrenched free of Gestas in order to kick Merry Jack in the ribs.
Gestas looked up to see the water snake towering above them. The horses
screamed, backing against the set brake of the fiacre.

He could smell Merry JackтАЩs body rotting as it was released by the Children,
even as his father continued to crush the dead manтАЩs ribs in a blind rage. Dismas
could smell cattle and the sharp sting of the fire at the coachworks. He could smell
his own blood, taste his hot breath with traces of that morningтАЩs vomit clinging like
wasp stings on a summer beach. Gestas could smell his life.

He knew he would never see the stars.

As the water snake came crashing down on him, Gestas plunged the Child
trap into his left breast, over his heart. тАЬI will be free,тАЭ he whispered as his voice was
snatched away by the flood.

****

тАЬWell, come on then.тАЭ

A middle-aged man holding the leads to two mules towered over the young
man. The young man realized it was because he lay upon the ground. The ground
was hard, many round rocks pushing against his back. Cobbles?

The older man leaned down, grasped the young manтАЩs hand to help him
stand. The older man smelled of turnips, and seemed familiar. тАЬYouтАЩre a bit big for
this, arenтАЩt you, lad?тАЭ

тАЬI suppose.тАЭ He choked, coughing up water. His hands felt oddly light, and
he noticed ragged holes in his clothing through which thin, pale scars could be seen.

тАЬYou have a name?тАЭ