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

MuchтАЩs two sisters still at home were bundled off to stay with friends, and his
father, who knew about the temporary occupant of the old barn, tactfully (and
strategically) left the house to his son and what friends might appear. Did anything
go wrong with the eveningтАЩs affairs, he would have been seen by at least a dozen of
his own acquaintances, safely and innocently drinking ale and discussing crops at the
Singing Lark on the road to Nottingham.
Marian was the first to arrive, and this did not help RobinтАЩs mood. He had meant
to be calm and well-reasoned, although he was already angry that she should so
casually (he thought) continue to put herself in danger by associating with him, and
while he began by asking only how his fatherтАЩs bow had come to him, his own voice
sounded curt in his ears.
She did not react to his tone, although she looked at him sidelong. She had simply
stolen Robert LongbowтАЩs bow out from under the sheriffтАЩs guardsтАЩ noses, for what
had till yesterday been RobinтАЩs little holding had been under close watch by yester
eve. She had done it at black midnight, after Robin and Much were both asleep. The
very manner of her telling infuriated him, for she spoke flatly, and made no
acknowledgment of her foolhardiness. It infuriated him further when it occurred to
him that even had he noticed a suspicious gleam in her eyes the night before, there
would have been nothing he could have done about it. When he began to
remonstrate with her, she cut him off impatiently.
тАЬI could not let your fatherтАЩs bow into their hands if I could help it,тАЭ she said. She
tried to smile at him, but the grimness of his expression made it hard for her. тАЬI
could not. RobinтАФyou havenтАЩt listened to what Much wants to tell you; you are too
anxious to make us believe we arenтАЩt listening to you. HeтАФweтАФneed you, and we
need theтАФthe heart of you. I thought perhaps the heart of you is that bow; or at least
it was all I could save.тАЭ She looked at him measuringly, trying to gauge how black
was his mood. тАЬThe cottage would have been a little difficult to carry away
secretly.тАЭ
His temper flared then, and hers flared right back, and Much told them, half in
alarm and half in amusement, to keep their voices down.
тАЬAnd do you think you may tell me what I will and will not do, for our
friendshipтАЩs sakeтАФor for aught else, perhaps?тАЭ said Marian. тАЬDo you think that you
have either the right or the wisdom to preach so to me?тАЭ
тАЬHad I wisdom I would have eluded Tom Moody yesterday, and we would not
be speaking so now. But, yes, I tell you you put yourself at risk needlesslyтАФтАЭ
тАЬNeedlessly? And how do you mean тАШneedlesslyтАЩ? Have you further decided the
future of the Saxon race on our green island that it does not include the small
measures that each of us Saxons may take? Even to the needless risk of helping a
friend?тАЭ
тАЬIt is not seemlyтАФтАЭ
 Much said hastily, тАЬI donтАЩt think you want to talk about seemly, Robin, unless
you really want to be thrown head-first into the fire. ButтАФтАЭ
тАЬA bow!тАЭ cried Robin in frustration. тАЬA few feet of ash-wood bent and bound in
such a way as a Welshman once showed my father would hurl an arrow farther than
his old bow ever could. For thisтАФтАЭ
тАЬWe havenтАЩt got an army to throw the Normans out of England,тАЭ Marian put in,
her cheeks flaming from RobinтАЩs last remark. тАЬThe only thing we have to fight with
is symbols. You are become a symbol, or you willтАФтАЭ
тАЬIf you will,тАЭ murmured Much.
тАЬAnd, I thought, a symbolic prop might be of help to you,тАЭ said Marian, and the