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

thankfully into her lungs was not fresh, rather tainted with stinks which
made her feel unclean even to sniff. She thought that her prison must lie
deep within the belly of the ship.

"Why have you done this?" Dairine asked of the man she could hear
breathing heavily near her.

"Captain's orders," he answered, leaning so close she not only smelt his
unclean body but gathered with that a sensation of heat. "He has eyes in
his head, has the captain. You be a smooth-skinned, likely wenchтАФ"

"Let her be, Wak!" That was Vidruth.

"Aye, captain," the other answered with a slur of sly contempt. "Here
she be, safe and soundтАФ"

"And here she stays, Wak, safe from your kind. Get out!"
 There was a growl from Wak, as if he were close to questioning the
other's right so to order him. Then Dairine's ears caught a sound which
might have been that of a panel door sliding into place.

"You are not the captain," she spoke into the silence between them.

"There has been a change of command," he returned. "The captain, he
has not brought us much luck in months agone. When we learned that he
would not try to better his fortuneтАФhe wasтАФ"

"Killed!"

"Not so. Think you we want a blood feud with all his clan? The
Sulcarmen take not lightly to those who let the red life out of some one of
their stock."

"I do not understand. You are all SulcarтАФ"

"That we are not, girl. The world has changed since those ruled the
waves about the oceans. They were fighters and fighting men get killed.
The Kolder they fought, and they blew up Sulcarkeep in that fighting,
taking the enemyтАФbut also too many of their ownтАФon into the Great
Secret. Karsten they fought, and they were at the taking of Gorm, aye.
Then they have patrolled against the sea wolves of Alizon. Men they have
lost, many men. Now if they take a ship out of harbor they do it with
others besides just their kin to raise sails and set the course. No, we do not
kill Sibbald Ortis, we may need him later. But he is safe laid.

"Now let us to the business between us, girl. I heard the words you
spoke with Ortis. Also did I learn much about you from those starvelings
who live in Rannock. You have some of the Talents of the Wise Women, if
you cannot call upon the full Power, blind as you are. You yourself said
itтАФif any can treat with those devil females of Usturt, it must be one such