"Jay Lake - Will You go On" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lake Jay)

There wasnтАЩt no other furniture or nothing, so we skipped around the pillars,
shaking our spears and shouting for the rats until there was this yelp, and a sort of
wet thud followed by whimpering.

тАЬThat was a rat what am,тАЭ shouted Bitros, leading our scramble toward the
noise.

тАЬRats donтАЩt yelp,тАЭ I said over the clatter of our running. We didnтАЩt have no
boots nor shoes, but a lot of the Hunt Group liked to drag our spears when we
werenтАЩt sneaking. Made us sound fierce and maybe kept the hall tigers away.

Then we were around him, the Hunt Group one big, metal-toothed animal, our
spears pointing in like a collar to close around the neck of this strangerтАЩs life.

He lay on the ground, groaning a little, one leg folded under in a bad way. He
was wearing dark wool, cut tight to his body in pants and some long,
round-cornered coat with a cotton shirt underneath and colored ribbon dangling
across his chest. His eyes were the gray of a rainy sky, and his hair sandy as the old
king on the throne at the end of the Hall.

тАЬYou ainтАЩt no rat, neither,тАЭ said Marta Grande to the outsider. She poked his
good thigh with her spear, which was tipped with a hammered iron leaf we broke off
a rustic chandelier in the Softwood Refectory.

тАЬKeep that thing away from me,тАЭ the outsider said, angry but quiet. He looked
at us, staring at each face around the ring of the twelve of us. Finally his eyes settled
on mine. тАЬI need your help.тАЭ

I didnтАЩt much feel like poking this outsider. He might be new blood for us. All
three of MartaтАЩs last babies were wronged up, though we still gave them to the
Sisters to tend. Which is what comes of having not enough parents and grands
between us.

This man meant new seed.

тАЬThereтАЩs not much help to give, friend,тАЭ I said. тАЬWeтАЩll set your leg and feed
you best we can, no worse than ourselves, but this hereтАЩs your new world to live in.тАЭ

He just stared at me for a moment. тАЬI must return to my life. My work is not
yet done.тАЭ
 Old Jamie laughed, then the whole Hunt Group picked it up.

The stranger looked puzzled, irritated, so as we quieted down, I explained.
тАЬGodтАЩs house is larger than any manтАЩs life.тАЭ

тАЬAh,тАЭ he said. тАЬLetтАЩs start with the leg, if you can. It hurts, a lot.тАЭ

Funny thing was, he didnтАЩt look very hurt. IтАЩd have been screaming my teeth
out if it was me.