"George R. R. Martin - In the House of the Worm" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin George R R)

Honor?"
Now the crowd around them looked shocked, except for a handful who had listened to the Meatbringer
before and knew his amusing irreverence. ├втВм┼УThe Manworm is purified,├втВмтАв Riess said. (Try as he
might, he was dull and orthodox underneath, and they all knew it.) ├втВм┼УHe is becoming one with the
White Worm!"

Annelyn shushed him; he thought of himself as inclined to the cynical and the shocking. ├втВм┼УPerhaps you
have a point about the honor,├втВмтАв he said to the Meatbringer. ├втВм┼УFreethinkers like myself have also
questioned the custom, but..."

Again the Meatbringer began to laugh at him, throwing his head back and roaring. Annelyn flushed darkly
and drained his wine with a snap├втВмтАЭworm and all├втВмтАЭas he fought to stay calm.

"Freethinker!" the Meatbringer finally choked out when his laughter had subsided. ├втВм┼УI doubt that you
have ever had a free thought. You are nothing, less than the Manworm.├втВмтАв He pushed past Annelyn and
began to fill his own goblet with wine.

"I have killed a groun,├втВмтАв Annelyn said, quickly, not thinking, regretting the words the instant they were
spoken.

The Meatbringer simply turned on him, and grinned, and then everyone began to laugh. There was no
need to comment; all of the worm-children knew that the Meatbringer had killed perhaps a hundred
grouns, not one. Even Caralee joined the general laughter, though Vermyllar and Riess were mercifully
silent. Tall as he was, Annelyn suddenly felt as if the Meatbringer towered over him. He glanced down
and saw his own face looking up, foolish and shaken, from the cold obsidian.

The Meatbringer studied Caralee with approval. ├втВм┼УShare my bed tonight,├втВмтАв he said suddenly, as
blunt as any torch-tender. The Meatbringer had no shame. Annelyn looked up again, shocked. Caralee
wore blue-and-spidergray, even as he did; clearly they were together. And he had given her the cup of
the mating-worms!

She looked at Annelyn briefly, then seemingly dismissed him with a toss of her bright curls, turning
toward the Meatbringer. ├втВм┼УYes,├втВмтАв she said, strange excitement in her voice. Then they went off
together onto the vast black mirror of the dance floor to whirl and writhe and slide together in the intricate
ancient patterns of the yaga-la-hai.

"He has humiliated us,├втВмтАв Annelyn said furiously to Riess and Vermyllar as he watched the Meatbringer
clumsily parody Caralee's graceful moves.

"We should go to the Manworm,├втВмтАв Vermyllar suggested.

Riess said nothing, but his round face was screwed up in agitation as he reached for another spiced
spider.

"No,├втВмтАв Annelyn said. Beyond the sea of wriggling dancers in all their gorgeous colors, Groff had
returned the Manworm to his sand pit. Squat torch-tenders were moving around the fringes of the
chamber, snuffing two flames of every three. Soon the obsidian grew clouded by darkness, and the bright
reflections faded to red streaks on the glass. In shadowed corners, a few bold couples had already
commenced the unmasking-of-the-bodies; others soon would follow their example. Annelyn had planned
to unmask Caralee. Now he was alone.