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

RaufтАЩs face. Sikan jumped at him; Gird rolled away, kicking wildly.
In moments that corner of the courtyard was a wild tangle of fighting
boys and squashed fruit. The steward bellowed, the lordтАЩs guards
waded into the fight, using their hands, their short staves, the flats of

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Elizabeth Moon - Surrender None


their swords. And Gird found himself held immobile by two guards,
with Rauf lying limp on the stones, and the other boys huddled in a
frightened mass behind a line of armed men.
тАЬDisgraceful,тАЭ said someone over his head. Gird looked up. The
lordтАЩs steward, narrow-faced, blue-eyed. тАЬWho started it?тАЭ
No one answered. Gird felt the hands tighten on his arms, and give a
shake. тАЬBoy,тАЭ said a deeper voice, one of the men holding him.
тАЬWhat do you know about this. Who started it?тАЭ
тАЬHe stole my plums.тАЭ Before he spoke, he didnтАЩt realize he was going
to. In the heavy silence, with Rauf lying still before him, and the
courtyard a mess of trampled fruit, his voice sounded thin. The
steward looked at him, met his eyes.
тАЬYour name, boy? Your father?тАЭ
тАЬGird, sir. DorthanтАЩs son.тАЭ
тАЬDorthan, eh? Your fatherтАЩs not a brawling man; IтАЩd have thought
better of his sons.тАЭ
тАЬSir, he stole my plums!тАЭ
тАЬYour tributeтАж yes. What was it, this year?тАЭ
тАЬA ruckbasket, sir. And they were fine plums, big dark ones, and
heтАФтАЭ
тАЬWho?тАЭ
Gird nodded at Rauf. тАЬRauf, sir. Him and Sikan, his friend.тАЭ
тАЬAnyone else see that?тАЭ The stewardтАЩs gaze drifted over the crowd of
boys. Most stared at their feet, but Teris, a year older than Gird and
son of his nearest neighbor, nodded.
тАЬIf you please, sir, it was Rauf started it. He said they were good
plums, and would look better in his basket. Then he took some, and
Gird said no, and he knocked Gird asideтАФтАЭ
тАЬRauf struck the first blow?тАЭ
тАЬAye, sir.тАЭ
тАЬAnyone else?тАЭ Reluctant nods followed this. Gird saw a space open
around Sikan, who had edged to the rear of the group. Sikan flushed
and moved forward when the steward stared hard at him.
тАЬIt wasnтАЩt so bad, sir,тАЭ he said, trying to smile around a bruised lip.

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Elizabeth Moon - Surrender None


тАЬWe was just teasing the lad, like, that was all.тАЭ
тАЬTeasing, in your lordтАЩs court?тАЭ