"Elizabeth Moon - Gird 01 - Surrender None" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moon Elizabeth)

In the year of his birth, and far away, the boy already lived who
would make his parentage worthless.




Chapter One

┬л^┬╗
тАЬYouтАЩre big enough now,тАЭ said the boyтАЩs mother. тАЬYou donтАЩt need to
be hanging on my skirts any more. YouтАЩre bold enough when itтАЩs
something you want to do.тАЭ As she spoke, she raked at the boyтАЩs
thick unruly hair with her fingers, and wiped a smudge of soot from
his cheek. тАЬYou take that basket to the lordтАЩs steward, now, and be
quick about it. Are you a big boy, or only a baby, then?тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩm big,тАЭ he said, frowning. тАЬIтАЩm not scared.тАЭ His mother flicked
her apron over his shirt again, and landed a hand on his backside.
тАЬThen get on with you. YouтАЩre to be home right away, Gird, mind
that. No playing about with the other lads and lasses. ThereтАЩs work to
be done, boy.тАЭ

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Elizabeth Moon - Surrender None


тАЬI know.тАЭ With a grunt, he lifted the basket, almost hip-high, and
leaned sideways to balance the weight; it was piled high with plums,
the best from their tree. He could almost taste one, the sweet juice
running down his throatтАж
тАЬAnd donтАЩt you be eating any of those, Gird. Not even one. Your Da
would skin you for it.тАЭ
тАЬI wonтАЩt.тАЭ He started up the lane, walking cantways from the weight,
but determined not to put the basket down for a rest until he was out
of sight of the house. He wanted to go alone. HeтАЩd begged for the
chance, last year, when he was clearly too small. And this year, when
sheтАЩd first told him, heтАЩdтАФhe frowned harder, until he could feel the
knot of his brows. HeтАЩd been afraid, after all. тАЬIтАЩm not afraid,тАЭ he
muttered to himself. тАЬIтАЩm not. IтАЩm big, bigger than the others.тАЭ
All along the lanes he saw others walking, carrying baskets slung
over an arm or on a back. A handbasket for each square of bramble-
berries; an armbasket for each tree in its first three years of bearing; a
ruckbasket for each smallfruit tree over three years, and a back-
basket for apples in prime. Last year heтАЩd carried a handbasket in
each hand: two handbaskets make an armbasket, last yearтАЩs fee. This
year was the plumтАЩs fourth bearing year, and now they owed the lord
a ruckbasket.
And that leaves us, he thought bitterly, with only an armbasket for
ourselves. It had been a dry year; most of the fruit fell before it
ripened. He had heard his parents discussing it. They could have
asked the lordтАЩs steward to change their fee, but that might bring