"Andre Norton & Rosemary Edghill - Carolus Rex 1 - The Shadow of Albion" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

seemed, to lay his gaff upon quarry of note.
тАЮFortunate, my dear Grillot? Fortune favors the brave, it is said,тАЬ Wessex
answered idly, in the person of the Chevalier de Reynard.
тАЮAnd my very dear Chevalier тАУ it was brave of you indeed to venture among us!тАЬ
Grillot could not quite repress a smirk at the cleverness of his own double meaning.
Wessex-as-Reynard made an elegant leg, slowly. Almost he reached for his
quizzing-glass again, but not quite.
тАЮNo, Monsieur Grillot,тАЬ he said cordially to his betrayer, тАЮit was you who were
the brave, to venture to attend a party with such a potential for dullness. And your
bravery is my good fortune тАУ do let us celebrate it in a glass of wine.тАЬ
WessexтАЩs French was flawless, but then, French had been one of the civilized
accomplishments only a generation agoтАж in the world that had preceded the
Revolution, before the self-anointed Emperor of FranceтАЩs bloody conquest of half
the world.
тАЮBut of course, my dear Chevalier.тАЬ Grillot was minded to relish his triumph.
тАЮThe Princesse keeps an excellent cellar and a dull guest-list, eh?тАЬ He linked arms
with Wessex and the two men strolled away. No one would expect тАЮReynardтАЬ to
make the bow to his hostess. The license of EugenieтАЩs gatherings was nearly as
proverbial as their dullness.
Wessex smiled. Certainly Madame la Princesse should thank him тАУ after tonight
no one would ever again call one of her soirees dull.
 Grillot and Wessex passed a number of small knots of conversants debating
everything under the sun in fervent obsessed voices. Only a few of them glanced up
from their talk to mark тАЮReynardтАЬ and GrillotтАЩs passing. The attraction of EugenieтАЩs
salons тАУ aside from the excellent table she kept тАУ was that one might meet anyone
and talk of anything here. From crop-headed Incroyables and their slovenly damsels
to the properly corseted and bewigged haute bourgeoisie, eyes and tongues burned
with the light of the Idea тАУ the Idea that France had the moral obligation to enslave
half the world.
The two men reached the buffet. Wessex shook back his lace and poured wine
for them both. Grillot gazed with affected distaste at тАЮReynardтАЩsтАЬ fantastical mode
of dress.
тАЮBut my dear sir, what would you have me do?тАЬ Wessex protested blandly,
catching the direction of GrillotтАЩs glance. тАЮAll the world knows that ManтАЩs natural
state is to be at war, and yet some of us are not meant for rude martial exercise. We
must each choose our battlefield where we may.тАЬ
Grillot snorted and tossed off his wine. Wessex poured him another glass. Above
the buffet the wax candles in their gilded wooden garlands burned with a steady
white light multiplied in the mirrors that hung upon the walls.
тАЮAh, the battlefieldтАж.тАЬ For some reason, WessexтАЩs choice of words was a
source of particular amusement to M. Grillot. тАЮBut there are battlfields and
battlefields, are there not, my dear Chevalier?тАЬ
Grillot was not a subtle man. Any person not already awake to his treachery
would surely be alerted by the gloating in his voice now.
тАЮIt is entirely as you say.тАЬ Wessex obstinately continued to act the part of the
foolish and oblivious Reynard.
тАЮBut you doubt me, my dear Reynard.тАЬ GrillotтАЩs smile grew more feral as he
spoke. тАЮPerhaps you will find a walk in the garden a spur to the intellect?тАЬ
If Grillot had expected Wessex to deviate from ReynardтАЩs persona by one iota,
he was to be sadly disappointed.