"Shirley Meier & S. M. Stirling - Fifth Millenium 05 - Shadow's Son" - читать интересную книгу автора (Meier Shirley)

тАЬYouтАЩre not fooling anybody, khтАЩeeredo, least of all her,тАЭ the Kommanza said blithely, flowing along
with her mount, nodding at MeganтАЩs. Her eyes laughed. тАЬJust relax!тАЭ
тАЬI know.тАЭ Her and her Koru-forsaken beasts. Give me a good river-ship any day. Megan risked
sparing a hand to wipe dust out of her eyes and look ahead to Thara-e. Her animal suddenly decided to
move sideways and dumped her on her behind in the road. Coincidence, obviously. Shit.
ShkaiтАЩra leaned over HotbloodтАЩs withers, guffawing. Hotblood stretched his neck and hissed; she got
the feeling he was laughing too. Her faithful mare trotted happily off to the herd ahead.
She heard TemaтАЩs shrill voice up ahead, talking to one of the others. тАЬCahn I try riding? Just forrh a
bit? Cahn I, cahn I, pleeeeeease?тАЭ
Guttersnipe. Megan brushed off her pants and started walking.
тАЬCome up, pillion.тАЭ It was ShkaiтАЩra, leaning over in the saddle and extending a hand down to her;
Megan bit back the thought that the Kommanza was being patronizing and accepted a pull up. тАЬWe
should be closing up soon; bathe, set up the tent, and IтАЩll give you a rub with liniment.тАЭ Hotblood rolled
an eye back at her. тАЬCarrion-breath here says he still thinks weтАЩre being followed.тАЭ
 Megan leaned against ShkaiтАЩraтАЩs arm, side-saddle, trying to find a position that didnтАЩt rub any aching
spots, sneezing at HotbloodтАЩs odor. тАЬItтАЩs probably that caravan thatтАЩs a ways behind. He thought the
same thing a while ago and it was just them. Koru, IтАЩd kill for a bath.тАЭ
They were in the ruins of Thara-e already, it seemed; Megan wasnтАЩt used to cities with no definite
boundaries like walls. The Yeolis had thought this one was far enough inland not to need them. It had
been wood. Sacked and burned last year, snowed and rained on since. At least thereтАЩd been no battle to
liberate it; apparently Chevenga had sent ahead a small force to catch the Arkan governor sneaking out
of the city with the war-chest, killed him, then bribed five thousand of the Arkan soldiers into deserting
and the general into surrendering. With their own goldтАФthe merchant in Megan snickered.
тАЬTheyтАЩve been diligent, for the numbers of hands they have left,тАЭ she said to ShkaiтАЩra.
тАЬIa.тАЭ The Kommanza nodded at the new wood and Arkan-brick houses ahead. тАЬRoads smoothed
out, fields cleaned up ...тАЭ
тАЬThose fields are being tended by everyone who can walk.тАЭ Oldsters sat and weeded or turned the
earth by hand as far as they could reach, because the horses and oxen were gone with the army, or
eaten; toddlers worked, directed by their parents. They knew theyтАЩd have to farm to eat, war or no war.
тАЬIa,тАЭ ShkaiтАЩra said again, with the distracted look on her face that meant she was mind-talking to
Hotblood. Probably going over another order not to kill anything or anybody until she tells him.
The buildings nearer the center of the town were Arkan-built, during the occupation, it seemed. People
looked up as they passed; some waved, some didnтАЩt.
Once they had the herd corralled and Hotblood stabled for the night, they went into town, to the first
place always open after war went through, if it ever closed: the inn. It was an old stone place, a rarity
here, obviously rebuilt after the fire: the walls were soot-stained, the rafters new.
тАЬMorrre passers through,тАЭ the serving-boy said in a pleasantly accented Enchian. тАЬFrom Brahvniki? I
hate to say, we hahve no beerrrh.тАЭ Yeolis tended to like wine better, and so had more. It was good;
from being stored in cellars for longer than expected, Megan thought, because thereтАЩs fewer Yeolis
to drink it.
тАЬYou have baths?тАЭ Megan asked.
The boy made a face. тАЬTseh neighboтАЩhood baths were three buildings down.тАЭ A heap of rubble,
theyтАЩd seen: the process of picking the stones up and mortaring them back together again had just
recently begun. тАЬBut we cahn heat water ahnтАЩ bring a wooden tub to youтАЩ chamber.тАЭ
тАЬPlease,тАЭ Megan said fervently, lowering herself to the seat of a corner table with a wince. I should
be fish-gutted used to this by now. Of course, she inwardly added to comfort herself, ShkaiтАЩra still
gets seasick.
тАЬMay I join you, friend allies?тАЭ It was a Yeoli man, dressed roughish, looking too able-bodied to be
here, not with He Whose Bottom Is Dipped in Gold; that was the running joke, now, whenever they
mentioned Chevenga. ShkaiтАЩra looked the Yeoli up and down, appraising on several levels at once, as