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

Lixand only said, "Shall I see you home? One can't be too
careful in the City nowadaysтАж"

She laughed as she walked over to the stairs and her shadow,
as she walked by, was cold. "Oh, no. I'm quite safe." She looked
happy, which made Megan feel both small and scared. "No," she
said again. "I don't have to worry. Especially with the new
contract I have. Just think on my advice, little brother." He took
her by one elbow and walked her up the steps as if to make sure
that she left quickly. Ness was shivering. Megan stood a moment
clutching her bear, then ran to hug Mama.

"Your poor little cousin," her mama said, rocking her. "Poor
Rilla."

"Poor Rilla," Megan parroted. "Can she come't' stay again?
She's a funny baby."

"Maybe soon, Megan-mi. Your aunt says that she's too little to
be away from her mother." Ness's face was closed as she
repeated the words, and Megan could tell that her mother didn't
feel them to be true. The door clicked upstairs and Papa came
down, his feet making soft scuffing noises on the mat.

"Ach, she's venomous today." He sighed, then kissed Ness.
She shushed him and nodded down at Megan in her lap. That
means I'm not supposed to hear that. Papa hugged them both.
"Don't worry, love," he said to his wife. "She's been like that as
long as I can remember, thinking I'm living below my status. She
knows I don't play the cutthroat games for position and I won't
let her pour poison in my ear. It's not as if I'm the only candidate
for Head of Guild, and it's safer if I keep out of the way till the
dust settles. There are rumors of murder; we'll be safer keeping
our heads down."

Ness was silent, holding onto her family.

"I'm four. I'm four." Megan skipped and sang beside her
mother, holding her hand as they went down to the school. Four
was important because that was when school could start. It was
important enough for Ness to take time off from her work at the
Guildhall, though they could ill afford the loss of her work time.
Megan would normally have been with her parents in the baby's
hall at the Guild.

Instead, she was being very careful not to wrinkle her good
black tunic and Ness had spent a bit of time brushing Megan's
hair, braiding it up neatly out of the way. She took one long
stretching step and three little running ones to keep up with her