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

anger seemed to drain out of her. тАЬBesides putting you in a better humour. I was
wrong.тАЭ
тАЬDid you know what she was about last night?тАЭ said Robin.
тАЬNo,тАЭ said Much, тАЬBut I wouldnтАЩt have told you even if I had, you know.тАЭ
Robin looked from one to the other. тАЬYou have discussed this revolutionary
force between you before.тАЭ
тАЬYes,тАЭ agreed Much, тАЬbut only because you refused to join in the discussions.
We have not kept you out.тАЭ
тАЬAnd I have developed some taste for theoryтАФand will-oтАШ-the-wisps,тАЭ said
Marian.
тАЬIf you mean to reproach me,тАЭ said Much, тАЬI donтАЩt blame you. ButтАФтАЭ
тАЬBut there is Norman blood in my veins, and your friends are not sure of me,тАЭ
said Marian. тАЬI have never gone cold or hungry, that is true. But you do not know,
because I have not told you, what it is like to have a half-Norman father who
despises all things Saxon, including his wife, who I believe died of it; including his
own tainted blood and his daughterтАЩs. He believes that he would have done much
greater things in his life had he had the good fortune to marry a Norman woman;
unfortunately no Norman woman with the dowry his estates needed would have him.
I have quite a romantic view of the Saxons, you know,тАЭ she said with a bitter smile;
тАЬI blame all my faults on my Norman blood, and my virtues on my Saxon. I like
Much and his notions.тАЭ
Robin said, trying to sound patient, тАЬBut you have just admitted to a ridiculously
romantic idea of the Saxons; we will not prove any better than the Normans at close
inspection.тАЭ
тАЬI disagree with you there,тАЭ said Much.
тАЬI did not say ridiculous,тАЭ said Marian. тАЬI said romantic. I will settle for the truth;
and I find myself quite anxious to seek it.тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩre both hopeless,тАЭ said Robin, hopelessly. тАЬThe king will catch us if the
sheriff should fail to; and then the Saxon race can by symbolically and romantically
hung by the neck till dead.тАЭ
 тАЬIf you want to talk romance,тАЭ said Much, тАЬdo you really think the Lionheart is
going to win Palestine? But itтАЩs a glorious idea, and heтАЩs the only Norman IтАЩve ever
thought of liking. If he came home and tried ruling, I might pay attention.тАЭ There was
a rather implausible owl-hoot from outside, and MuchтАЩs head snapped around. тАЬIf
he canтАЩt get it better than that, he might just as well shout,тАЭ he said, and got to his
feet to let the next member of the Saxon revolution indoors. тАЬYou know, Robin, you
can ask Marian to promise not to do it again; after all, your father had but the one
bow.тАЭ
Robin made an inarticulate sound and stood up; Much threw up his hands in
mock terror and said, тАЬSee here, you arenтАЩt going to start on me. Besides, youтАЩll
make a bad impression on my friends,тАЭ and opened the door.
Robin was embarrassed to discover that by the end of that first evening he was
involuntarily feeling a reluctant hope for MuchтАЩs plan of a few stalwart outlaws
harassing the Nottingham sheriff and his fellows from a base hidden in Sherwood
Forest. It was perhaps as well that he decided to think positively, if for no other
reason than that his was one voice against several, all of them good talkers. Much
himself was better than good; he was inspired. тАЬDo remember that we are starting
small,тАЭ said Robin, amused, at one point, when Much was outlining a grand idea for
releasing all the prisoners in the sheriffтАЩs gaols. тАЬYou will soon have us believing we
can walk on air and pick locks with our fingers.тАЭ