"Pierce, Tamora - The Circle Opens 01 - Magic Steps" - читать интересную книгу автора (Pierce Tamora)

With an invisible hand she teased out a strand of his power and pulled it to
her, attaching it within herself. It was as fine as a single thread of silk, but
with it in her grasp, she would always be able to find him. "Pasco, I want to
catch up with my uncle," she said tardy. "Have we a bargain?"
He nodded reluctantly.
Sandry mounted her horse once again. Her guards drew up beside her, looking down
at Pasco with level brown eyes. "Until the boats come home, Pasco Acalon,"
Sandry told him.
Again he bowed deeply to her.
Sandry nodded to her escorts, and turned her mare back toward the city. Once
they reached the road, she set off at a smart trot, hoping to find the duke
before he got too involved in this murder.
* * *
Pasco watched her ride off, shaking his head. He had little experience with
nobles or mages, but he'd never heard of those people behaving as she did. Was
she even as pretty as he'd thought, or was it just her bearing, and her dress,
and those lovely blue eyes?
He oughtn't to meet her back here when the boats came in, Would a lady even know
so commonplace a thing as the time a fishing fleet returned? If she didn't see
him that afternoon, she would forget this idea of him and magery. Everyone knew
the nobility was flighty, ex cept for Duke Vedris.
Pasco looked around and found just Osa, napping be side his rowboat. Osa's
father had gone off fishing without paying for the dance.
So I'll have to come anyway, to see if they still want to pay me, thought Pasco,
wandering over to the sand where he'd danced. Dawn had. come: in the sunlight he
could see the patterns made by his feet and the rope net.
Pasco grinned. Suddenly the idea of an Acalon who danced magic was as funny as
anything, a joke and a half.
"I have it," he told the air and a few seagulls that had landed to pick for
clams as the tide went out. I'll be a dancing harrier, only 'stead of putting my
hand on the lawbreakers, I'llЧI'll dance 'em into my coop!"
"Are you done being foolish?" Osa demanded, getting to his feet. "I've chores to
do yet today. And don't you have law and baton-fighting lessons?"
Pasco yelped, and ran to his friend. "No lessons till later," he told Osa,
helping the other boy to push the boat into the water. "But I promised Mama I'd
help sort one of the storerooms this morning!"
They jumped into the boat as it floated free. Each of them took an oar this
time, and began to row.
CHAPTER 3
When Harbor Street filled up with gawkers a block from the scene of the murder,
Sandry's guards did not ask whether she wanted to push on or not. Like the other
residents of Duke's Citadel, Kwaben and Oama had learned weeks ago what happened
when Sandry wished to join her uncle and was kept from doing so. They urged
their mounts ahead of hers and began to open a path with their booted feet and
with their horses. People com plained until they saw who barged through so
rudely. Then they made room for the girl and her escort.
The four Provosts Guards at the door of Rokat House were less willing to help.
Their leader, whose sleeve bore a corporal's single yellow arrowhead badge, was
not impressed by Sandry's rank. "It's not a fit sight for a lady," he said, his
face expressionless.