"John Meaney - Blood and Verse" - читать интересную книгу автора (Meaney John)

erotic encounter of my life combined into one moment. We stare, almost stricken, at
each other. Then Shera smiles, and we continue our descent.

After weтАЩve boarded, the boat edges away from the floating forest. Lase-cut
tree-limbs half-fill the hold. The crew chat among themselves, leaving us alone (for
courtesy comes naturally among their kind) as we head back towards ConvenorsтАЩ
Hall. Shera and I stand on the afterdeck, saying nothing, but tightly holding hands:
communicating more than this poor poetтАЩs words could ever say.

A flash beneath the wavesтАФтАЭFish,тАЭ says Shera, with a quick smileтАФand then
it is gone.

It makes me wonder, though, that sign of submerged life ... about the hidden
complexities of the local situation. Who commissioned my work? A slighted lover?
Another kingdom? A jealous/wronged/ambitious courtier?

The House Officers excluded such information from my briefing. My poem,
deliberately innocent of the past, is to celebrate the manner of Queen RhiannonтАЩs
death. Vindictiveness, the petty motives of revenge ... theyтАЩre for poor satirists to
deal with. My commission is a just one, approved by the House Ethics Committee,
and thatтАЩs all I need to know.

тАЬLook.тАЭ Shera points. тАЬThe FayreтАЩs begun.тАЭ

WeтАЩre approaching ConvenorsтАЩ Hall. Bright columns of holoflame twist and
blaze beneath its eaves.

тАЬHave you time to watch it with me?тАЭ

тАЬOh, yes.тАЭ She gives my hand a squeeze. тАЬWe need to eat dinner, donтАЩt you
think?тАЭ

тАЬIтАЩm starving.тАЭ

тАЬAfterwards, I will have to go home, and do some reading.тАЭ

тАЬWhereтАЩs home?тАЭ ThereтАЩs so much we havenтАЩt talked about.

Pointing, Shera says: тАЬThe Apprentice Hostel, over that way. A temporary
room, is all.тАЭ

Through the rainfall, itтАЩs impossible to make out the building. It must lie
beyond the hotel, and even thatтАЩs not visible from here.

тАЬI can stay here,тАЭ she adds, тАЬfor another two hours.тАЭ

The boat impinges against the jetty, softly as a kiss.

тАЬGood.тАЭ