"Robin McKinley - Damar 2 - The Hero and the Crown" - читать интересную книгу автора (McKinley Robin)

He did not say, тАЬBe quick, I am busy,тАЭ as he might have doneтАФand small blame to him if he had, she
thought forlornly.
тАЬYou ride westтАФsoon? To treat with Nyrlol?тАЭ She could feel TorтАЩs eyes on her, but she kept her
own eyes fixed on her father.
тАЬTreat?тАЭ said her father. тАЬIf we go, we go with an army to witness the treaty.тАЭ A little of the smile
crept into his eyes after all. тАЬYou are picking up courtly language, my dear. Yes, we go to тАШtreatтАЩ with
Nyrlol.тАЭ
Tor said: тАЬWe have some hope of catching the mischief-one did not say demon aloud if one could
help itтАФтАЭand bottling it up, and sending it back where it came from. Even now we have that hope. It
wonтАЩt stop the trouble, but it will stop it getting worse. If Nyrlol isnтАЩt being pricked and pinched by it, he
may subside into the subtle and charming Nyrlol we all know and revere.тАЭ TorтАЩs mouth twisted up into a
wry smile.
She looked at him and her own mouth twitched at the corners. It was like Tor to answer her as if she
were a real part of the court, even a member of the official deliberations, instead of an interruption and a
disturbance. Tor might even have let her go with them; he wasnтАЩt old enough yet to care so much for his
peopleтАЩs good opinion as Arlbeth did; and furthermore, Tor was stubborn. But it was not TorтАЩs decision.
She turned back to her father.
тАЬWhen you goтАФmay I come with you?тАЭ Her voice was little more than a squeak, and she wished she
were near a wall or a door she could lean on, instead of in the great empty middle of the dining-hall, with
her knees trying to fold up under her like an hour-old foalтАЩs.
The silence went suddenly tight, and the men she faced went rigid: or Arlbeth did, and those behind
him, for she kept her face resolutely away from Tor. She thought that she could not bear it if her one loyal
friend forsook her too; and she had never tried to discover the extent of TorтАЩs stubbornness. Then the
silence was broken by PerlithтАЩs high-pitched laughter.
тАЬWell, and what did you expect from letting her go as she would these last years? ItтАЩs all very well to
have her occupied and out from underfoot, but you should have thought the price you paid to be rid of
her might prove a little high. What did you expect when our honored first sola gives her lessons in
swordplay and she tears around on that three-legged horse like a peasant boy from the Hills, with never a
gainsay but a scold from that old shrew that serves as her maid? Might you not have thought of the
reckoning to come? She needed slaps, not encouragement, years agoтАФshe needs a few slaps now, I
think. Perhaps it is not too late.тАЭ
тАЬEnough.тАЭ TorтАЩs voice, a growl.
Her legs were trembling now so badly that she had to move her feet, shuffle in her place, to keep the
joints locked to hold her up. She felt the blood mounting to her face at PerlithтАЩs words, but she would not
let him drive her away without an answer. тАЬFather?тАЭ
тАЬFather,тАЭ mimicked Perlith. тАЬItтАЩs true a kingтАЩs daughter might be of some use in facing what the North
has sent us; a kingтАЩs daughter who had true royal blood in her veins ....тАЭ
Arlbeth, in a very unkinglike manner, reached out and grabbed Tor before anyone found out what the
first solaтАЩs sudden move in PerlithтАЩs direction might result in. тАЬPerlith, you betray the honor of the second
solaтАЩs place in speaking thus.тАЭ
Tor said in a strangled voice, тАЬHe will apologize, or IтАЩll give him a lesson in swordplay he will not like
at all.тАЭ
тАЬTor, donтАЩt be aтАФтАЭ she began, outraged, but the kingтАЩs voice cut across hers. тАЬPerlith, there is
justice in the first solaтАЩs demand.тАЭ
There was a long pause while she hated everyone impartially: Tor for behaving like a farmerтАЩs son
whose pet chicken has just been insulted; her father, for being so immovably kingly; and Perlith for being
Perlith. This was even worse than she had anticipated; at this point she would be grateful just for escape,
but it was too late.
Perlith said at last, тАЬI apologize, Aerin-sol. For speaking the truth,тАЭ he added venomously, and turned
on his heel and strode across the hall. At the doorway he paused and turned to shout back at them: тАЬGo