"Elizabeth Moon - Gird 02 - Liar's Oath" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moon Elizabeth)
тАЬYes, but this young man is helping me now.тАЭ Almost dismissive, then she really focused on him. тАЬOhтАФyou are the
Marshal-General?тАЭ
GirdтАЩs eyes twinkled. тАЬYes, lady.тАЭ
тАЬI saw you, riding into the city that day.тАЭ She beamed on him, to LuapтАЩs surprise. тАЬI said to Eris then, thatтАЩs no brigand
chief, no matter what they say, even if he does sit that horse like a sack of meal.тАЭ Gird looked at the peasant woman, who
gave him the same look sheтАЩd given Luap. Gird nodded, and turned back to the lady. тАЬNot that you could be expected to
ride better,тАЭ she went on, oblivious to the possibility that a man who had led a successful revolution might resent criticism
of his horsemanship. тАЬI daresay you had no opportunity to learn in childhoodтАФтАЭ
тАЬNo, lady, I didnтАЩt.тАЭ GirdтАЩs formidable rumble was tamed to a soft growl. тАЬBut you wished something of me?тАЭ
тАЬThis.тАЭ She indicated the cloth on her lap. тАЬNow that youтАЩve cleansed the Hall, the altar must be properly dressed. IтАЩve
just this past day finished it. Your doorward would not allow me to dress the altar, and said it was your commandтАФтАЭ
тАЬSo you came to me.тАЭ Gird smiled at her; to LuapтАЩs surprise the old lady did not seem to mind his interruptions. Perhaps
she was used to being interrupted, at least by men in command. тАЬBut we have a priest of Esea, lady, who said nothing to
me about the need for suchтАФтАЭ He gestured at the cloth.
тАЬWho?тАЭ She seemed indignant at this, more than at Gird тАЬWhat priest would fail in the proper courtesies?тАЭ
тАЬArranha,тАЭ said Gird, obviously curious; surely she could not know the names of every priest in the old kingdom.
тАЬArranhaтАж is he still alive?тАЭ A red patch came out on either cheek. тАЬI thought he had been exiled or executed or some
such years ago.тАЭ
тАЬAhтАж no.тАЭ Gird rubbed his nose; Luap realized his own mouth had fallen open, and shut it. тАЬYou said you were in the
city when it fellтАФwhen we arrived. Surely you came to the cleansing of the Hall?тАЭ
тАЬNo.тАЭ Now she looked decidedly grumpy. тАЬNo, I did not. At my age, and in myтАФwellтАФwith all due respect, Marshal-
General, for those few days the city was crowded withтАФwith noise, and pushing and shoving, and the kinds of people,
Marshal-General, that I neverтАФwell, I meanтАФтАЭ
LiarтАЩs Oath - The Legacy of Gird 02, Elizabeth Moon
тАЬIt was no place for a lady of your age and condition,тАЭ Gird offered, twinkling again, after a quick glance at Eris, the
peasant woman. тАЬYouтАЩre right, of course. Noisy, rough, even dangerous. I would hope your people had the sense to keep
you well away from windows and doors, most of that time.тАЭ
тАЬIn tтАЩcellar, at the worst,тАЭ said Eris, unexpectedly. тАЬBut the worst was over, time you come in, sir. Worst was the other
lordsтАЩ servants smashinтАЩ and lootinтАЩ even as the lords fled. RunninтАЩ round sayinтАЩ such things as milady here shouldnтАЩt
have to hear. Though it was crowded and noisy enough for a few hands of days. And when thтАЩ yeoman marshals sorted
through, takinтАЩ count oтАЩ folks and things. But they didnтАЩt seek bribes, IтАЩll say that much for тАЩem.тАЭ
тАЬTheyтАЩd better not,тАЭ said Gird, suddenly all Marshal-General. Even the old lady gaped; Luap, who had seen it often
enough not to be surprised, enjoyed the reactions of others. He had never figured out what Gird did to change from farmer
to ruler so swiftly, but no one ever mistook the change. тАЬSo,тАЭ he went on, this time with everyoneтАЩs attention, тАЬyou did
not come to the Hall that day, and had not known Arranha was with us? You should know that IтАЩve known him for some
yearsтАФheтАЩll tell you in what tangle we met, if you wish. I knew heтАЩd been exiled, and nearly killed, but for all that heтАЩs a
priest of Esea, one of the few left alive these days.тАЭ
тАЬHeтАЩs a fool,тАЭ said the old lady, having recovered her composure. тАЬHe always was, with his questions into this and that
and everything. CouldnтАЩt let a body alone, not any more than a bee will give a flower a momentтАЩs peace to enjoy the sun.
Always тАШBut donтАЩt you think thisтАЩ and тАШWell then, donтАЩt you see thatтАЩ until everyone was ready to throw up their hands
and run off.тАЭ
Gird grinned. тАЬHe did that to me, too. You know he took me to the gnomes?тАЭ
She sniffed. тАЬThatтАЩs exactly the sort of thing IтАЩd expect. Gnomes! Trust Arranha to complicate matters: mix a peasant
revolt with gnomes and both with religion.тАЭ The flick of her hand down her lap dismissed ArranhaтАЩs notions.
тАЬWell, it worked. Although there were times, that winter, when I could happily have strangled your Arranha.тАЭ
тАЬHeтАЩs not ours,тАЭ the old lady said. тАЬA law to himself, he is, and always has been. Although youтАФтАЭ She gave Gird a look
up and down. тАЬI expect you give him a few sleepless nights, and all the better.тАЭ
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