"Patricia A. McKillip - Alphabet of Thorn" - читать интересную книгу автора (McKillip Patricia A)

horse doesnтАЩt even see it,тАЭ she said, but Oriel sat obstinately still.
тАЬIтАЩll wait,тАЭ she said tersely. тАЬJust hurry.тАЭ
The mages must have seen them coming some time ago,
Nepenthe realized when she saw the robed figure come out of the
trees to meet her. The young man was carrying something in one
hand. His hair, Nepenthe noted idly, was the same gold-leaf hue
that had splashed so profligately out of the mysterious wood. As she
rode up to him, he gave her a smile somewhere between
amusement and rue.
He nodded at the figure in the distance, then said to Nepenthe as
she turned her mount to rein beside him, тАЬWe frightened her, then.тАЭ
тАЬSheтАЩs easily frightened.тАЭ
тАЬThere was no need.тАЭ He looked up at Nepenthe, mouth open to
continue, then did not, for a moment; only the wind spoke, racing
exuberantly between them. He finished his thought finally. тАЬYou
arenтАЩt. Easily frightened.тАЭ
тАЬNo.тАЭ The word snagged oddly. She cleared her throat, then for
once in her life could find nothing coherent to say.
тАЬWhat color are they?тАЭ she heard.
тАЬWhat?тАЭ
тАЬYour eyes. They were brown. Then when you turned your horse
to face the sea they became as green as water.тАЭ
тАЬThey do,тАЭ she answered. тАЬThey do that.тАЭ His own eyes seemed
the color of his hair, full of morning light. Rich, she thought
dazedly, rich, though he wore the plain brown wool of a student,
and that was none too clean.
тАЬWhat is your name?тАЭ
тАЬNepenthe. I am a ward of the royal library.тАЭ From mute to
babbling, she had suddenly gone. тАЬThey were up to N when they
found me on the cliff edge.тАЭ
тАЬNepenthe.тАЭ His eyes had narrowed slightly; they seemed to pull
at her, doing a mageтАЩs work. In some magical world, she
dismounted; she stood on the grass in front of him; his hands,
graceful and strong, something crusted and glittering beneath the
nails, moved to touch herтАж
But no: they still held the book. She blinked, still mounted. He
remembered it, too, in that moment.
тАЬOh. Here.тАЭ He held the book up to her; she took it. It was very
plain, worn, undistinguished by gold ink or jewels; the binding
smelled of wax and old leather. тАЬIt came to us in a traderтАЩs wagon.
He said it had been passing from hand to hand across the Twelve
Crowns and more than likely beyond them. Nobody can read it, so
he gave it to the mages for nothing. If the librarians find it deals
with magic, the mages want it back. Otherwise, theyтАЩll settle for
some explanation of it.тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩll tell them.тАЭ Idly, because she had been surrounded by books
since she had been found, she opened it, glanced at the odd letters.
тАЬMy name is Bourne,тАЭ she heard him say, тАЬof Seale. If I come to
the library, will they let me see you?тАЭ
They looked like thorns, the strange letters: brambles curling and