"Modesitt, L E - Recluse 10 - The Magic Of Recluse" - читать интересную книгу автора (Modesitt L E)

I followed Tamra into the waiting room beyond.
"... That's no choice." The voice was Dorthae's, and she was facing Talryn.
Talryn smiled a smile that wasn't really a smile, since his black eyes were hard as the stone of the paved floor underfoot. "You can choose either. Your actions already made that choice necessary."
"What . . . because I wouldn't stay with a man who turned out to be an unfeeling and unthinking brute?"
"No. Because you crippled him before you left him."
I winced. While there was a hardness to Dorthae, I hadn't seen just how hard she was.' Yet she looked vulnerable standing before Talryn, even though he was no taller than she was.
Dorthae turned away, her lips tight.
Myrten and Sammel had followed me. Only Wrynn and Krystal were missing.
Dorthae glanced at me, saw my black staff and stumbled back toward Tamra, also carrying her staff. Dorthae cringed away from the redhead.
Tamra and I exchanged glances. She shrugged. After a moment, so did I.
Clearly, as I had recognized from the encounters with Shrezsan and the trader, I had some power, associated with the staff. What it was . . . that was another question. Unfortunately, everyone else thought I had some power, too, and they were just as clearly very wary of it. Wonderful-heading into a dangergeld cursed with an ability I hadn't even known I'd had, with the whole world ready to pounce on me for it. Sent for reasons I still didn't understand and which no one would explain. Just wonderful.
As I pondered, Krystal and Wrynn had appeared.
"You are all here. Good," said Talryn. "Follow me."


VIII

PRETTY MUCH IN silence we walked up a set of wide black I stone stairs. The side walls were of the same black stone. All the stone was smooth but unpolished, and it seemed to absorb light with almost no reflection. Each stone was set so tightly in place that the mortar between each was less than half a fingertip in width. That thin line of mortar was black. So clean were the steps they bore no trace of dust, although ; the light from the overhead skylights did not fall on the steps directly.
Talryn and Sammel were at the front of the group. I was at the back, just behind Wrynn and Krystal. From Krystal's , blue leather belt, darker than her faded blue blouse and trousers, hung two sheaths, both containing knives, one barely a span in length. She wore a small matching blue pack.
"All this black . . . depressing . . ." muttered Wrynn, shaking her head, her blond hair fluffing out for an instant. She ; wore a brown pack like mine, except hers was stuffed to the bursting point and had several small bags tied to the outside.
"It smells like power," answered Krystal, touching her hand to the long black hair she had wound up into a bun after our rather late lunch. Then she emitted the faintest giggle. ;
If only she didn't giggle ... I shook my head. She was nearly a decade older than I was, at least, with the hint of lines around her eyes-almost scrawny, except for her nicely-formed breasts.
"Creepy, if you ask me," muttered Wrynn again. Her right [ hand rested awkwardly on the haft of a long sheathed knife.
At the top of the steps was a foyer of sorts, windowless, . and, on the far end, a set of doors that Talryn held open. тАв
The breeze blowing toward me held a hint of spring, or rain-that clean smell that follows a good rain when the dust is washed out of the air. Yet I could see that the sky was as blue and nearly cloudless as when I had walked under the gates and into Nylan at midday.
"Gather round . . ."
So we gathered. I gave Myrten a wide berth. Smooth voice or not, he looked like he'd steal anything available just to prove he could. Dorthae didn't have that problem. She practically cuddled up next to him. I stood a pace or so behind Wrynn and Krystal, facing Talryn.
"Right ahead of us are the transients' quarters where you will be staying. Each of you will have a separate room," explained Talryn. "You can sleep there, or with anyone else in your group, as you please-but only with that other person's consent. Forcing yourself on someone else is a good way to immediate exile."
"Now . . . it's that way . . ." complained Dorthae.
Myrten sniffed. Wrynn grinned as if no one were about to force her- a thought with which I certainly agreed, wondering absently if, with her, / might need that protection.
I glanced around to find Tamra looking at me. She nodded once, then transferred her attention back to Talryn, who had continued droning on.
Had she understood what I had been thinking? How?
". . . washrooms and showers are at the end of the hallway. The small building on the other side of the square garden with the fruit trees is the dining hall where your meals will be served. You may eat there, or you may pay for meals anywhere in Nylan. The choice, again, is yours." He grinned broadly. "But the Brotherhood's meals are good, and the price is right."
"Only your life," said Dorthae softly, but loudly enough to stop Talryn momentarily.
He frowned, then shook his head. "Believe it or not, our interest is in saving your lives, not spending them." He cleared his throat before continuing. "Your introduction to the elements of the dangergeld will start tomorrow after breakfast in the classroom building-that's the one with the red square by the doorway toward the harbor from the dining hall. Now I'll show you your rooms. If you wish to trade a room with someone else, you certainly can, provided you both agree."
Without another word, he turned and opened the black-oak door, not even looking to see if any of us followed him. Of course, we all did. What else could we do?
My room, like all the others, had a narrow bed, just wide enough for one comfortably. The wooden frame was, thank-fully, of polished red oak. A single sheet covered the mat-tress, and a dark-blue blanket was folded across the bottom ; of the bed. No pillows, not that I had slept with one since I ! had apprenticed with Uncle Sardit, and only a single small oil lamp on the table. There was no closet, but a square red-oak wardrobe, half hanging space and half open shelves.
A braided and multicolored oval rag rug perhaps three cubits across covered most of the blue floor tiles between the door and the bed, which was nearly against the outside stone wall. The half-open single casement window was in the middle of the wall, just short of the foot of the bed.
I pulled my cloak from the pack and hung it up, as well as my single spare set of trousers and tunic. The order-locked purse was there, with my apprentice wages, as was another I purse I did not remember. I opened it. Inside were ten more \ gold pennies, worn, nothing more. I swallowed.
For some reason, I had trouble seeing for a minute, perhaps because I recalled the gold penny with the small clip out of it. My mother had remarked on it as coming from the buyer from the Emperor of Hamor. She refused to let me see her tears, but left me what she could. I grasped back in the ; bag for something . . . anything.
There was also a short-sleeved summer shirt, but I left it folded and put it on the second shelf. My leather case with the razor and soap I put on the top shelf. The few other underclothes I had fit in with room to spare, as did the small ; book my father had clearly tucked into my pack.
The Basis of Order ... of all things. Who knew? I figured reading it might be something to do. Especially if the training got boring. I didn't leave it out in the open, but tucked it under the shirt. The purses I put back in the pack, which I i folded and put on the top shelf. They would be safe-that I knew. I took ten coppers and a silver penny.
None of the rooms had locks, just bolts that could only be closed from inside. Then again, who was going to try to steal anything with the Brotherhood around? Even Myrten would hesitate ... for now.
I shook my head. The hour was early, and even if it were kays down to the harbor, a good walk, and even if my feet were blistered, I intended to try it, just to see if I could get a better idea about what Nylan really represented. And I didn't want to sit around and think about either the book or the extra purse.
The staff stayed in the wardrobe along with the cloak.
With a last look at the small room, I closed the door. Outside, the central hallway was empty, although I could hear voices in the neighboring room-Wrynn and Krystal. Their words were low.
The pathway toward the harbor was easy enough to find, since there were stone pedestals every hundred rods or so along each of the paths, with names and arrows pointing out the way.
Harbor-3 kays
North way Depot-2 kays
Administration-1 kay