"Robin McKinley - The Outlaws of Sherwood" - читать интересную книгу автора (McKinley Robin)

the original plan of merely beating himтАФbut from MuchтАЩs words, that had never
been the plan. He wondered if there was some comfort in this, but he was too tired
to consider it. тАЬWe should not do anything; though I am very glad to have seen you
one last time. I would not have dared to come looking for you. You should go
home, and forget you ever saw me this day, andтАФтАЭ
тАЬAnd you will go sell yourself to the Saracens,тАЭ Marian put in. тАЬWell, you wonтАЩt.
We came to help you, and help you we will.тАЭ
тАЬAnd you canтАЩt stop us,тАЭ said Much, with almost a grin. тАЬIt is hard for you,
Robin, but you know, this could almost be a good thing in the long runтАФтАЭ
тАЬA good thing?тАЭ exploded Robin. тАЬA man is dead, andтАФтАЭ
тАЬAnd his death is going to give the Norman dogs an excuse theyтАЩll love, to bite
down on us Saxons; yes, I know. But thereтАЩs another side of it. Everyone
hereabouts knows who your father was. It would be an easy thing to put it about that
the trouble youтАЩre in comes of being your fatherтАЩs son; that the lying Normans canтАЩt
bear an honest Saxon around them longтАФand itтАЩs the truth, too. So, if word goes
round that Robin, son of Robert Longbow, isтАФis living freeтАФwell, I think a few
hardy like-minded folk might wish to join him. The Nottingham woods are huge;
quite a few of us could lose ourselves in them beyond ken of any sheriffтАЩs or kingтАЩs
men forever. I think a few hardy like-minded folk might be pleased.тАЭ
тАЬPleased? Pleased to do what?тАЭ Robin said, throwing a few weeds of his own
into the brook, despite the ominous creaking through his back and shoulders.
тАЬPleased to skulk around in the shadows, pleased never to have a roof or a home, or
anything over their heads but a price to see them dragged before the sheriff? This
kind of talk was amusing when we were children and didnтАЩt know any better, Much.
You always told the best storiesтАФI envied you the way you told them, the way you
believed them. But thatтАЩs long agoтАФmore than just years. ItтАЩs nonsense. You must
know itтАЩs nonsense.тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs not nonsense,тАЭ Much said patiently. тАЬYouтАЩve been too preoccupied with
staying out of the Chief ForesterтАЩs way for too long to listen to us. Henry had
stopped caring about anything but quarelling with his sons by the end; Richard
stayed in England barely long enough to be crowned, and then it was off to the Holy
LandтАФтАЭ
тАЬHenry gave us the law,тАЭ argued Robin, тАЬand Richard is an honest man.тАЭ
 тАЬRichard is an honest man in Palestine,тАЭ said Much, тАЬand what we have is a
Regent who is not. Do you suppose one of HenryтАЩs handsome travelling justices is
going to listen to a lot of ragtag Saxons against the word of a Norman sheriff who is
a personal friend of the Regent? Think, Robin. You could be our rallying point.тАЭ
Robin shook his head. тАЬIt sounds fine,тАЭ he said. тАЬIтАЩm sure you are often in
demand as a fireside speaker. But it wonтАЩt work.тАЭ
тАЬAnd if we are going to put it to the test,тАЭ Much continued without heeding, тАЬthis
is the season. ItтАЩs spring; we have summer and autumn ahead, when staying alive will
be easy, and we have time to make mistakes before winter begins, and weтАЩll have to
be serious.тАЭ
тАЬBe serious! It is you who are not being serious,тАЭ said Robin. тАЬHave you given
any practical thought to your shining notions of Saxon revolt against Norman
tyranny? It is too late for me, so I do not matter. But do you have any idea what
using me as a so-called rallying point would mean for those who rallied? Do you
understand how absolute the no going back would be? I canтАЩt believe that you do,
or you would not suggest it. What kind of a man do you suppose me to be, that I
could permit these тАШhardy like-minded folkтАЩ to come to me, knowing that by so