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

Stefan smiled. тАЬNo, no, no,тАЭ he said, shaking his head.

тАЬWhat do you mean?тАЭ The strangerтАЩs voice was sharp; and Father
Egius, cowering slightly, said, тАЬTheyтАФthey kill goats, too.тАЭ

тАЬSheep or goats, whatтАЩs that to me? Where do they come from, these
pagans? Why are they permitted to live in a Christian land?тАЭ
 тАЬTheyтАЩve always lived here,тАЭ the old priest said, puzzled.

тАЬAnd youтАЩve never tried to bring the Holy Church among them?тАЭ

тАЬMe?тАЭ

It was a good joke, the idea of the little old priest going up into the
mountains; there was a good deal of laughter for quite a while. Father
Egius, though without vanity, was perhaps a little hurt, for he finally said in a
rather stiff tone, тАЬThey have their gods, sir.тАЭ

тАЬTheir idols, their devils, their what do you call itтАФOdne!тАЭ

тАЬBe quiet, priest,тАЭ Freyga said suddenly. тАЬMust you say that name?
Do you know no prayers?тАЭ

After that the stranger was less haughty. Since the count had spoken
harshly to him the charm of hospitality was broken, the faces that looked at
him were hard. That night he was again given the corner seat by the fire, but
he sat huddled up there, not spreading his knees to the warmth.

There was no singing at the hearth that night. The men talked low,
silenced by FreygaтАЩs silence. The darkness waited at their shoulders.
There was no sound but the howling of the wind outside the walls and the
howling of the woman upstairs. She had been still all day, but now the
hoarse, dull yell came again and again. It seemed impossible to Freyga that
she could still cry out. She was thin and small, a girl, she could not carry so
much pain in her. тАЬWhat good are they, up there!тАЭ he broke out. His men
looked at him, saying nothing. тАЬFather Egius! There is some evil in this
house.тАЭ

тАЬI can only pray, my son,тАЭ the old man said, frightened.

тАЬThen pray! At the altar!тАЭ He hurried Father Egius before him out into
the black cold, across the courtyard where dry snow whirled invisible on the
wind, to the chapel. After some while he returned alone. The old priest had
promised to spend the night on his knees by the fire in his little cell behind
the chapel. At the great hearth only the foreign priest was still awake.
Freyga sat down on the hearthstone and for a long time said nothing.

The stranger looked up and winced, seeing the countтАЩs blue eyes
staring straight at him.
 тАЬWhy donтАЩt you sleep?тАЭ