"Elizabeth Moon - Gird 02 - Liar's Oath" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moon Elizabeth)

places weтАЩd met before, I remembered. She will remember, too, once she thinks of it. SheтАЩs the kind of old woman who
thinks mostly of people, and where sheтАЩs seen them. She will tease at her memories, Luap, until your boyтАЩs face comes
clear, and then she will come to ask you. Be gentle, if you can; thatтАЩs what IтАЩm asking.тАЭ He started eating.
Luap could not answer. He had locked all that away, that privileged childhood, a private hoard to gloat over when alone.
Now he realized that no one had ever claimed to know both of his pastsтАж the nobility had left him strictly alone, a pain
he had thought he could not bear, and the peasantry, where heтАЩd been sent, had not known him before. He did not even
know, with any certainty, just where his childhood had been spent. It had never occurred to him, during the war, that he
might come face to face with anyone but his father who had known himтАж that the other adults of his childhood might
still exist, and recognize him.
He felt that a locked door had been breached, that he had been invaded by some vast danger he could hardly imagine. His
vision blurred. In his mind, he was himself again a child, to whom the whole adult world seemed alternately huge and
hostile, or bright and indulgent. He could remember the very clothes, the narrow strip of lace along his cuff, the stamped
pattern on the leather of his shoes. And someone else had seen thatтАФsomeone who knew him nowтАФsomeone who could
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LiarтАЩs Oath - The Legacy of Gird 02, Elizabeth Moon
estimate the distance between that boy and this man, could judge if the boy had grown as he should, even if the boy had
potentials he had never met.
тАЬIтАФdidnтАЩt knowтАФтАЭ It came out harsh, almost gasping. He could not look at Arranha, who would be disapproving, he was
sure.
тАЬIтАЩm sorry.тАЭ ArranhaтАЩs voice soothed him, sweet as the peach heтАЩd eaten and which now lay uneasily in his belly. тАЬI was
afraid she would tell you and cause you this grief in a worse placeтАж here, you are safe, you know.тАЭ
He would never be safe againтАж all the old fears rolled over him. He had been safe, secure, in that childhood, and then it
was gone, torn away. The farmer to whom heтАЩd been sent had not dared cruelty, but the life itself was cruelty, to one
indulged in a kingтАЩs hall, a child used to soft clothes and tidbits from a royal kitchen.
All around, the walls closed in, prisoning rather than protecting. He could hardly breathe, and then he was crying, shaking
with the effort not to cry, and failing, and hating himself. ArranhaтАЩs arm came around him, warmer and stronger than he
expected. He gave up, then, and let the sobs come out. When he was done, and felt as always ridiculous and grumpy,
Arranha left him on the bench and came back in a few minutes with a pitcher of water and a round of bread.
тАЬI daresay you feel cheated,тАЭ Arranha said, breaking the bread and handing Luap a chunk. тАЬThose were your memories, to
color as you chose, and here IтАЩve pointed out that others live in them.тАЭ
Luap said nothing. He did feel cheated, but it was worse than Arranha said. Someone had invaded his private memories,
his personal space, and torn down his defenses. The only thing that had been his, since he had had neither family nor
heritance.
тАЬI donтАЩt remember much,тАЭ Arranha said, musing. тАЬYou were a child; I was a priest, busy with other duties. Not often
there, in fact.тАЭ
Luap noticed he said there instead of here, which must have meant he had not been brought up in Fin PanirтАФat least, not
in the palace complex. That made sense; he remembered a forecourt opening on fields, not streets. He got a swallow of
water past the lump in his throat, and took a bite of bread. If Arranha kept talking, he could regain control, re-wall his
privacy.
тАЬSomeone pointed you out. I was in one of my rebellious stages, so I remember thinking what a shame it wasтАФтАЭ
тАЬWhat?тАЭ That came out calmly enough; Luap swallowed more water, and nearly choked.
Arranha chuckled. тАЬWellтАФsheтАЩs right, Dorhaniya, that I was troublesome. I questionedтАФas I do to this dayтАФwhatever
came into my head to question. Her sister threatened more than once to cut the tongue from my headтАФand might have
done it, too, that one. Anyway, I not only thought the lordsтАЩ use of peasant women was wrong, I thought it was
stupidтАФand said so. You were an example: a handsome lad, bright enough, eager as a puppy, and by no fault of your own
the hinge of great decisions. All the talk was of your potential for magery: not your wit or your courage, not your
character or your strength. I thought you had the magery, but that fool of a steward had frightened it out of you; others
were hoping you had none.тАЭ
тАЬWhy? DidnтАЩt the king have legitimate heirs?тАЭ He would be reasonable; he forced himself to ask reasonable questions.
тАЬYou didnтАЩt knowтАФ? No, of course, how could you? Luap, the kingтАЩs wife lost four children, either in pregnancy or