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

up and down, the familiar what-are-you look of someone whoтАЩd never seen a Zak before. Wait till she
sees Hotblood. тАЬWhere you from?тАЭ
тАЬFtalezon and Brahvniki anтАФтАЭ No, Megan decided, sheтАЩd never believe where ShkaiтАЩra was from.
тАЬBrahvnikians. I escorrt you.тАЭ She whistled a single-tune and was answered from three different
places.
тАЬWait, sentryтАФтАЭ All through MeganтАЩs explanation of how Hotblood mustnтАЩt get near horses from up
the Brezhan, the womanтАЩs eyes and the set of her lips kept saying the same thing over and over: тАЬHighly
irrehgularrh.тАЭ They ended up between the supply train and the rearguard; the carts were for supplies and
the wounded, it appeared. The last was a six wheeler double-teamed, probably carrying heavy stuff, with
a phalanx of Yeolis, the rearguard, marching behind it. The pikers had their cloaks draped over their
packs, and the archersтАЩ weapons were snug in their waxed-leather cases.
The foot soldiers seemed glad of something interesting to look at; one who knew Enchian made
conversation, somewhat boorishly, boasting loudly to ShkaiтАЩra about her sexual prowess. Someone on
the cart tried to haggle with Megan for a horse, but someone else argued with him, with much Yeoli
arm-waving, making it clear all horse sales were supposed to go through the Horse-master. Not wanting
her first impression to be under the table dealing, she politely declined. And they all walked and rode on,
cold to the bones, wet clothing slapping shockingly against marginally warmer skin, cloth catching and
pulling, breathing wet air that stank of wet horse, wet human, and worst of all, wet Hotblood. Curled in
ShkaiтАЩraтАЩs hood, Fishhook kept up a continual low growling complaint, both audibly and in MeganтАЩs
mind; wetnastywetwetlicknotthirstywetwetтАФhisssтАФwet.
Through the drizzle the light dimmed, grey-silver darkening to steel grey, clouds seeming to touch the
ground. тАЬTrees ahead,тАЭ someone called between songs. Then a cry came all down the line that had a
ritual sound to it; the dayтАЩs march was over, set camp here. The column flowed slowly into a fork
between two rivers, breaking up into organized chaos that spread beyond sight in the falling rain.

It was the usual sort of horse deal: тАЬYou want how much for those plugs?тАЭтАФтАЬYouтАЩre asking me to
give away these children of my heart, sons and daughters of the wind?тАЭ Megan resisted the urge to be
too dishonest in exaggerating their quality; sheтАЩd be sticking around. ShkaiтАЩra waited patiently through the
haggling, picking her teeth with her thumbnail, holding Hotblood by the forelock to keep him from trying
to eat the people around him.
тАЬFor that price, these beautiful, high-bred, loyal creatures are yours,тАЭ Megan said. She left the smelly,
bad-tempered brutes with them, wiped her face clear of rain with one hand. The herdsmen from
Brahvniki had been given their final pay that morning; now they went their way. If I were comfortable,
IтАЩd feel more human. And more valuable. тАЬDone. Ready to sell yourself?тАЭ
ShkaiтАЩra took off her hat and shook out her damp braids, dropping a kiss on MeganтАЩs head. тАЬIa. IтАЩm
easy but not cheap, so you do the haggling while I look menacing, love.тАЭ
The two women walked east, leading their mounts and packbeasts. The camp bustled wetly, soldiers
and camp-followers splashing through sodden turf rapidly turning to liquid mud; pitching camp,
scavenging for deadwood and stones to build fires, putting up spits. Somebody had obviously stolen a
herd of pigs, for she could see the wagons dropping off carcasses. It smelledтАФthere was no way to
concentrate this many people and animals without a stinkтАФbut it was somewhat better than most of the
thousand war-camps the Kommanza had seen.
тАЬThese must be the mercenaries, by the road,тАЭ she said. тАЬIтАЩve never seen such a collection of odds
and sods.тАЭ
Megan just grunted. She hailed an Aenir with an axe across his shoulder. тАЬHai, whereтАЩs the
paymaster?тАЭ
The Aenir looked, looked again when he saw Hotblood. тАЬThe bell-tent.тАЭ That was in the middle of
an infantry regiment; mercenaries with mixed equipment, pikes, spears, axes, swords, bows.
тАЬShit, there are a bunch over there with threshing flails and stone-headed hammers, Baiwun pound
me flat,тАЭ ShkaiтАЩra said.