"China Mieville - Iron Council" - читать интересную книгу автора (Mieville China)

with scorching and blood. The man spread out his pack and blanket, a few books and clothes. He laid down something well-wrapped and heavy among loam and
centipedes.
Rudewood was cold. The man built a fire, and with it so close the darkness shut him quite out, but he stared into it as if he might see something emergent. Things came
close. There were constant bits of sound like the bronchial call of a nightbird or the breath and shucking of some unseen predator. The man was wary. He had pistol and
rifle, and one at least was always in his hand.
By flamelight he saw hours pass. Sleep took him and led him away again in little gusts. Each time he woke he breathed as if coming out of water. He was stricken.
Sadness and anger went across his face.
тАЬIтАЩll come find you,тАЭ he said.
He did not notice the moment of dawn, only that time skidded again and he could see the edges of the clearing. He moved like he was made of twigs, as if he had stored
up the nightтАЩs damp cold. Chewing on dry meat, he listened to the forestтАЩs shuffling and paced the dirt depression.
When finally he heard voices he flattened against the bank and looked out between the trunks. Three people approached on the paths of leaf-mould and forest debris.
The man watched them, his rifle steadied. When they trudged into thicker shanks of light, he saw them clearly and let his rifle fall.
тАЬHere,тАЭ he shouted. They dropped foolishly and looked for him. He raised his hand above the earth rise.
They were a woman and two men, dressed in clothes more ill-suited to Rudewood than his own. They stood before him in the arena and smiled. тАЬCutter.тАЭ They gripped
arms and slapped his back.
тАЬI heard you for yards. What if you was followed? Who else is coming?тАЭ
They did not know. тАЬWe got your message,тАЭ the smaller man said. He spoke fast and looked about him. тАЬI went and seen. We were arguing. The others were saying,
you know, we should stay. You know what they said.тАЭ
тАЬYeah, Drey. Said IтАЩm mad.тАЭ
тАЬNot you. тАЭ
They did not look at him. The woman sat, her skirt filling with air. She was breathing fast with anxiety. She bit her nails.
тАЬThank you. For coming.тАЭ They nodded or shook CutterтАЩs gratitude off: it sounded strange to him, and he was sure to them too. He tried not to make it sound like his
sardonic norm. тАЬIt means a lot.тАЭ
They waited in the sunken ground, scratched motifs in the earth or carved figures from dead wood. There was too much to say.
тАЬSo they told you not to come?тАЭ
The woman, Elsie, told him no, not so much, not in those words, but the Caucus had been dismissive of CutterтАЩs call. She looked up at him and down quickly as she
spoke. He nodded, and did not criticise.
тАЬAre you sure about this?тАЭ he said, and would not accept their desultory nods. тАЬGodsdammit are you sure? Turn your back on the Caucus? You ready to do that? For
him? ItтАЩs a long way weтАЩve got to go.тАЭ
тАЬWe already come miles in Rudewood,тАЭ said Pomeroy.
тАЬThereтАЩs hundreds more. Hundreds. ItтАЩll be bastard hard. A long time. I canтАЩt swear weтАЩll come back.тАЭ
I canтАЩt swear weтАЩll come back.
Pomeroy said, тАЬOnly tell me again your message was true. Tell me again heтАЩs gone, and where heтАЩs gone and what for. Tell me thatтАЩs true.тАЭ The big man glowered and
waited, and at CutterтАЩs brief nod and closed eyes, he said, тАЬWell then.тАЭ
Others arrived then. First another woman, Ihona; and then as they welcomed her they heard stick-litter being destroyed in heavy leaps, and a vodyanoi came through the
brush. He squatted in the froggish way of his race and raised webbed hands. When he jumped from the bank, his bodyтАФhead and trunk all one fat sacтАФrippled with
impact. Fejhechrillen was besmirched and tired, his motion ill-suited to woodland.
They were anxious, not knowing how long they should wait, if any others would come. Cutter kept asking how they had heard his message. He made them unhappy.
They did not want to consider their decision to join him: they knew there were many who would think it a betrayal.
тАЬHeтАЩll be grateful,тАЭ Cutter said. тАЬHeтАЩs a funny bugger and might be heтАЩll not show it, but thisтАЩll mean a lot, to me and to him.тАЭ
After silence Elsie said: тАЬYou donтАЩt know that. He didnтАЩt ask us, Cutter. He just got some message, you said. He might be angry that weтАЩve come.тАЭ
Cutter could not tell her she was wrong. Instead he said: тАЬI donтАЩt see you leaving, though. WeтАЩre here for us, maybe, as well as for him.тАЭ
He began to tell them what might be ahead, emphasising dangers. It seemed as if he wanted to dissuade them though they knew he did not. Drey argued with him in a
rapid and nervy voice. He assured Cutter they understood. Cutter saw him persuading himself, and was silent. Drey said repeatedly that his mind was made up.
тАЬWe best move,тАЭ said Elsie, when noon went. тАЬWe canтАЩt wait forever. Anyone else is coming, theyтАЩve obviously got lost. TheyтАЩll have to go back to the Caucus, do
whatтАЩs needed in the city.тАЭ Someone gave a little cry and the company turned.
At the hollowтАЩs edge a hotchi rider was watching them, astride his gallus. The big war-cockerel plumped its breastfeathers and raised one spurred claw-foot in curious
pose. The hotchi, squat and tough hedgehog man, stroked his mountтАЩs red comb.
тАЬMilitia coming.тАЭ His accent was strong and snarling. тАЬTwo men militia coming, a minute, two.тАЭ He sat forward in the ornate saddle and turned his bird around. With
very little sound, with no metal to jangle on wood-and-leather straps and stirrups, it picked away high-clawed and belligerent, and was hidden by the forest.