"Ursula K. LeGuin - The Barrow" - читать интересную книгу автора (Le Guin Ursula K)

Freyga spoke to a boy who lay beside him chin in hand: тАЬGive us a song,
Gilbert.тАЭ The boy smiled and sat up, and began at once in a high, sweet
voice:

King Alexander forth he came,
Armored in gold was Alexander,
Golden his greaves and great helmet,
His hauberk all of hammered gold.
Clad in gold came the king,
Christ he called on, crossing himself,
In the hills at evening,
Forward the army of King Alexander
Rode on their horses, a great host,
Down to the plains of Persia To kill and conquer, they followed the
King,
In the hills at evening.

The long chant droned on; Gilbert had begun in the middle and
stopped in the middle, long before the death of Alexander тАЬin the hills at
evening.тАЭ It did not matter; they all knew it from beginning to end.

тАЬWhy do you have the boy sing of pagan kings?тАЭ said the guest.

Freyga raised his head. тАЬAlexander was a great king of Christendom.тАЭ

тАЬHe was a Greek, a heathen idolator.тАЭ
 тАЬNo doubt you know the song differently than we do,тАЭ Freyga said
politely. тАЬAs we sing it, it says, тАШChrist he called on, crossing himself.тАЩтАЭ

Some of his men grinned.

тАЬMaybe your servant would sing us a better song,тАЭ Freyga added, for
his politeness was genuine. And the priestтАЩs servant, without much urging,
began to sing in a nasal voice a canticle about a saint who lived for twenty
years in his fatherтАЩs house, unrecognized, fed on scraps. Freyga and his
household listened in fascination. New songs rarely came their way. But the
singer stopped short, interrupted by a strange, shrieking howl from
somewhere outside the room. Freyga leapt to his feet, staring into the
darkness of the hall. Then he saw that his men had not moved, that they sat
silently looking up at him. Again the faint howl came from the room
overhead. The young count sat down. тАЬFinish your song,тАЭ he said. The
priestтАЩs servant gabbled out the rest of the song. Silence closed down
upon its ending.

тАЬWindтАЩs coming up,тАЭ a man said softly.

тАЬAn evil winter itтАЩs been.тАЭ

тАЬSnow to your thighs, coming through the pass from Malafrena
yesterday.тАЭ