"Shirley Meier & S. M. Stirling - Fifth Millenium 01 - Shadow's Daughter" - читать интересную книгу автора (Meier Shirley)

"Eat your porridge before it gets cold," Papa said.

"Yes, Papa." She didn't like porridge, even when they bought
tree-sugar for it. She slapped the spoon in it, splashing.

"Megan!" he warned. She shoveled it into her mouth, telling
herself there was milk in it, which she liked. It's good for me. If I
threw it on the wall, would it stick? She tried not to taste it,
making faces at the gruel as she ate.

Then she hurried because she liked school. She didn't
understand why the other kids complained, but didn't say
anything because they'd think she was strange. She looked over
to the stairs where her boots were waiting. If she had real boots
it meant she was old enough to play outside by herself, since only
babies ran barefoot. Her boots were red and blue and black
stripes with a fringe on top, fallen over on top of her slate and
wax-board waiting on the stairs.

She put her bowl in the bucket, hugged Brunsc goodbye, and
ran to get ready. Papa's slow. She jumped up on the bottom step
and her boot fringes swished. Her braids thumped on her back
when she jumped down again. Up. And down. Up. And down.

"Papa, come on!"

"Don't be impatient, bylashka. I'm coming." like a grownup
with always one more thing to do or put away. The bed was
made, its doors closed, the bucket was full of water for the dishes
to soak until Papa or Mama got home, whoever was first. He put
the window pole down after he finished closing the shutters and
pulled his coat on.

It had stopped pouring but was still wet, cold enough to make
her nose prickle inside, the air full of water; a heavy fog, almost a
light drizzle. Ice coated every brown grass blade in the yard,
slicking black on the wall. Most of the roses were protected
under the overhang but some of the leaves and branches, coated
with ice, hung down rattling as if made of stone.
 She hung onto Papa as they slid down the street and he
showed her how to keep her balance by sliding purposely instead
of trying to walk and slipping. Her slate and waxboard banged
on her back, bouncing on the leather strap as he slid her around
him, laughing.

They slid around the corner into the colonnade of Student's
Walk and saw Vyaroslaf and his children ahead of them at the
gate. Lixand went quiet because he didn't like his co-worker and
would have to be polite and walk to work with him. Then
tonight, when he came home, he'd be unhappy and tell Ness how