"Elizabeth Moon - Sweet Charity" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moon Elizabeth)

"How?"



"City guards are city guards the world over," Harald said, rubbing fingers and thumb.

***

That night in the Green Cat's bar, Harald kept eyes and ears open. One particular corner table caught his
interest. A cute perky blonde wearing fringed black leather and polished brass pouted at the louts around
her, who were all clearly ready to do anything for another glance down her cleavage.



If that was an example of local women warriors, he and his men had nothing to worry about. She was
too pretty, too smooth-skinned and full-lipped, to know what to do with the fancy little dagger at her
belt, let alone a real sword. Her followers, big and muscular enough, wore fashions he'd seen only in the
grittier port brothels, but no visible weapons.



When the blonde pushed back from the table, he saw that she actually had cute little muscles in her arms.
She glanced over at him, and he grinned, raising his mug appreciatively. She stuck out her adorable lower
lip; one of her followers turned to glower at him. Harald shrugged, unperturbed. He watched as she
undulated across the room. Every part of herтАФmany visible through the long black fringeтАФsuggested
unspeakable delights.



Harald turned back to his ale, as she flounced out the door, to find that the burly fellow with the bits of
metal through his ears and nose was now beside him. "She's beautiful," Harald said. Under the table, his
hand slid down to the hilt of his boot knife. "You can't blame a man for looking."



"S'long as you're respectful," the man said.



"Oh, I am," Harald said. "But such beauty cannot be denied."



The burly man grinned. "Since you appreciate her many qualities, perhaps you'd like to make her
acquaintance a little closer?"



What was this? Was the woman a high-priced whore, and this her pimp? Did they think he'd been born
under a rhubarb leaf, and still had the dew on his backside?