"Elizabeth Moon - Gird 02 - Liar's Oath" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moon Elizabeth)
LiarтАЩs Oath - The Legacy of Gird 02, Elizabeth Moon
тАЬFirst,тАЭ she said, as if heтАЩd asked, as if he would be interested, тАЬthe wool must be shorn with silver shears, from a
firstborn lamb having no spot of black or brown, neither lamb nor ewe. Washed in running water only, mind. And the
shearer must wear white, as well. Then carded with a new pair of brushes, which must afterwards be burned on a fire of
dry wood. Cedar is best. Then spun between dawn and dusk of one day, and woven between dawn and dusk of another,
within one household. In my grandmotherтАЩs day, she told me, the same hands must do both, and it was best done on the
autumn Evener. But the priests said it was lawful for one to spin and another to weave, only it must be done in one
household.тАЭ
She gave Luap a sharp look, and he nodded to show heтАЩd been paying attention. He wasnтАЩt sure he had fooled her, but she
didnтАЩt challenge him. тАЬIt must be woven on a loom used for nothing else, the width exactly suited to the altar, for no
cutting or folding of excess can be permitted. No woman in her time may come into the room while it is being woven, nor
may touch it after; if she touches the loom while bleeding, the loom must be burned. Then while it is being embroidered,
which must be the work of one only, it must be kept in a casing of purest white wool, and housed in cedarwood.тАЭ
Luap nodded, tried to think of something to say, and asked about the one thing she hadnтАЩt mentioned. тАЬAnd the color,
lady? How must it be dyed?тАЭ
тАЬDyed!тАЭ She fairly bristled at him, and thrust the cloth toward his face, yanking it back when he reached out a hand. тАЬIt is
not dyed, young man; that is fine stitchery.тАЭ Now he could see that the blue background was not cloth, but embroidery.
He had never seen anything like it.
тАЬIтАЩm sorry,тАЭ he said, since she clearly expected an apology. тАЬI donтАЩt think IтАЩve ever seen work that fine.тАЭ
тАЬProbably not.тАЭ Then, after a final sniff, she gave him a melting smile. тАЬYoung man, you will not guess how long IтАЩve
been working on this.тАЭ
He had no idea of course, but a guess was clearly required. тАЬA year? Two?тАЭ
She dimpled. How a woman her age had kept dimples he also had no idea, but they were surprisingly effective. тАЬTen
years. You canтАЩt work on this all day, you know. No one could. I began when the king made that terrible mistake; I knew
thought I was just a silly old woman! You may have been my motherтАЩs best friend, he said, but she only liked you
because you were too stupid to play politics. Safely stupid, he said. You neednтАЩt think IтАЩll listen to you, he said, you and
your oldfashioned superstitions, Well!тАЭ Old anger flushed her cheeks, then faded as she pursed her lips and shook that
silver hair. тАЬWhen I got home, I told Eris hereтАФтАЭ She waved a hand at the peasant woman. тАЬI told her then, I said, тАШYou
mark my words, dear, that hot-blooded fool is leading us straight into trouble.тАЩ Though of course it didnтАЩt start then, but a
long time before; these things always do. Young people are so rash.тАЭ
A movement in the passage outside caught LuapтАЩs eyeтАФGird, headed downstairs on some errand, had paused to see what
was going on. For someone his size, he could be remarkably quiet when he wished. From his expression, the old
womanтАЩs, rich clothing and aristocratic accent were having a predictable effect on his temper. Go away, Luap thought
earnestly at Gird, knowing that was useless. Then Be quiet to the old ladyтАФequally useless.
She went on. тАЬAnd that very day, I began the work. My grandmother had always said, you never know when youтАЩll need
the godsтАЩ cloth, so itтАЩs wise to prepare beforehand. This wool had been sheared two years before that, carded and spun
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LiarтАЩs Oath - The Legacy of Gird 02, Elizabeth Moon
and woven just as the rituals say: not by my hands, for there are better spinners and weavers in my household, and IтАЩm not
so proud IтАЩll let the god wear roughspun just to have my name on it. Ten years, young man, IтАЩve put in stitch by stitch,
and stopped for nothing. The king even wondered why I came no more to court, sent ladies to see, and they found me
embroidering harmlesslyтАФor so the king took it.тАЭ She fixed Luap with another of those startling stares. тАЬI am not a fool,
young man, whatever the king thought. But it does no good to meddle where no one listens, and my grandmother had told
me once my wits were in my fingers, not my tongue.тАЭ
Gird moved into the room, and the old lady turned to him, regal and impervious to his dangerous bulk. He wore the same
blue shirt and rough gray trousers he always wore, with old boots worn thin at the soles and sides. He stood a little
stooped, looking exactly like the aging farmer he was.
тАЬYes?тАЭ she said, as if to an intrusive servant. Luap felt an instantтАЩs icy fear, but as usual Gird surprised him.
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