"Andre Norton - Witch World - Lore of the Witch World" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

"Aye. Well, girl, may the Right Hand of Lraken be your shield. When a
ship calls, no captain lingers."

Before she could even wish him well, he was gone. Retreating, she sat
down on her hard bench by the loom. Her hands trembled, and from her
eyes the tears seeped. She felt bereft, as if she had had for a space a
treasure and it had been torn from her. She was certain that her instinct
had. been right, that if any could have learned the secret of Usturt, she
was that one.

Now, when she put a hand out to finger her own weaving, the web on
the loom seemed coarse, utterly ugly. In her mind, she held a queer vision
of a deeply forested place in which great, sparkling webs ran in even
strands from tree to tree.

Through the open door puffed a wind from the sea. Dairine lifted her
face to it as it tugged at her hair.

"Maid!"

She was startled. Even with her keen ears she had not heard anyone
approach, so loud was the wind song.

"Who are you?" she asked quickly.

"I am Vidruth, maid, mate to Captain Ortis."
 She arose swiftly. "He has thought more upon my plan?" She could see
no other reason for the seaman to seek her out in this fashion.

"That is so, maid. He awaits us now. Give me your handтАФsoтАж"

Fingers grasped hers tightly. She strove to free her hand. This
manтАФthere was that in him which was wrong. Then out of nowhere came
a great smothering cloak, folded about her so tightly she could not
struggle. There were unclean smells to affront her nostrils, but the worst
was that this Vidruth had swung her up across his shoulder so that she
could have been no more than a bundle of trade goods.


2
So was she brought aboard what was certainly a ship, for in spite of the
muffling of the cloak, Dairine used her ears, her nose. However, she could
not sort out her thoughts. Why had Captain Ortis so vehemently, and
truthfully (for she had read that truth in his touch), refused to bring her?
Then this man of his had come to capture her as he might steal a woman
during some shore raid?

The Sulcarmen were not slave traders, that was well known. Then why?

Hands pulled away the folds of the cloak at last. The air she drew