"Sharon K. Penman - Here Be Dragons" - читать интересную книгу автора (Penman Sharon K)

interrogated about lessons of history and statecraft. "You know, Llewelyn,
that the English give all to the firstborn son. Since young Henry had no son
of his own, the heir to the English throne is now his brother Richard. So this
means that Richard will one day be King."
"That is not good for us, is it, Morgan? If Richard is as able a soldier as
men say..." "He is."
Llewelyn swallowed some more wine. "I'm sorry Henry died," he said
regretfully. "Since he was to be King one day, you made me learn as much as I
could about him. And now all that effort goes for naught and I have to begin
all over again with Richard!"
That triggered one of Morgan's rare laughs. "It is even worse than you know,
lad. It is very likely that one of Richard's brothers might one day be King
after him, so that means you must familiarize yourself with Geoffrey and John,
too."
"All three? But why, Morgan? Richard will surely marry and beget a son. How,
then, can Geoffrey or John ever be King?"
Morgan did not respond at once, seemingly lost in thought. "Aye," he said at
last. "I reckon you are old enough to know. I take it that your mother and her
brothers have spoken to you of carnal matters, explaining how a woman gets
with child?"
"Of course! Mama and my Uncle Gruffydd told me what I needed to know ages
ago."
A youngster growing up around livestock could not remain sheltered for long,
and Llewelyn's were an uninhibited people who viewed sex as a natural urge and
a very enjoyable pleasure; nor was theirs a society in which the stigma of
illegitimacy carried much sting. Morgan was not surprised, therefore, by the
boy's emphatic answer.
Actually, Llewelyn knew far more about carnal matters than MOP
17
┬лn suspected, for he knew at^┬░Ut Gwy- The average parish priest gie Welsh or
English or Fren, '^ "? a ^-educated man; Morgan
* s an exception. Most were ^J^^ ** *┬╗"** ┬░f S bacy -s one that not many
%?^^^?- I* was not
of
bacy was one that not many co', Sh┬░Ulder with equanimity. It was not
3 uncommon for these L^*^?to f e/┬░ ** hearths ^Z Uve-in concubines, and while
e Ulurch officially decried these liai sons, they were tacitly accepts "*' *
PeoPle as inevitable and even natural. Unlike so many of his ^ ┬░W dencs'
Morgan had never taken a wife or hearthmate, and the o/^! ere few when he'd
found his vow of chastity too onerous fo/" Y3 flesh" He wa┬л always quite
dis creet, and it was purely by cha^"" , Llewelyn had found out about
Gwynora. He had told no one, a^ W┬░Uld never have dreamed of savine a word
to Morgan; it gave him S W3rm glow of Pleasure to keep a secret for this man
he so loved.
"I know all about carnal 1/^*1' Morgan'" he said loftily "But what has that
to do with one of /Morgan hesitated. "Richar/ 1S,f brilliant battle commander, one of the best in
Christendom. Nor, ft/* f, temPers, is he an impious man It is well known
that he yearns t/7 cross-"
"You mean go on pilgrimag/ tO the Holy Land?" Morgan nodded and then h/SI*fed

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