"Tamora Pierce - Circle Opens 4 - Shatterglass" - читать интересную книгу автора (Pierce Tamora)

her hair cut off at one length at ear level, and the knee-length tunic worn by Tharian men. She was also
extremely dirty.

тАЬExcuse me,тАЭ Tris called to her. тАЬDo you know the way to Achaya Square?тАЭ

The girl picked up the second barrel in a row of them and dumped its contents into her cart.

Tris cleared her throat and raised her voice. тАЬI said, can you tell me the way to Achaya Square?тАЭ

The girl nicked her eyes toward Tris, then away. She dumped her empty barrel next to the others, and
picked up a full one.

Well, thought Tris. She can hear me; sheтАЩs just being rude. She stalked over to the cart. тАЬDonтАЩt you people
believe in courtesy to visitors?тАЭ she demanded crossly. тАЬOr are all you Tharians so convinced that the
world began here that you canтАЩt be bothered to be polite?тАЭ

Though the barrel she had taken to the cart was still half full, the girl set it down and fixed her gaze on
TrisтАЩs toes. тАЬYou shenosi,тАЭ she said quietly, using the Tharian word for foreigners. тАЬDonтАЩt they have
guidebooks where you come from?тАЭ

TrisтАЩs scowl deepened. She was not particularly a patient girl. тАЬI asked a simple question. And you can
look at me if youтАЩre going to be snippy.тАЭ

тАЬOh, itтАЩs a simple enough question,тАЭ replied the girl, still soft-voiced, her eyes still fixed on TrisтАЩs no-
nonsense shoes. тАЬAs simple as the way is if you just follow that long beak of yours. And IтАЩll give you
some information for nothing, since youтАЩre obviously too ignorant to live. You donтАЩt talk to prathmun,
and prathmun donтАЩt talk to you. Prathmun donтАЩt exist.тАЭ

тАЬWhat are prathmun?тАЭ demanded Tris. She chose not to take offence at the remark about her nose. It
was not her best feature and never had been.

тАЬI am a prathmunтАЭ retorted the girl. тАЬMy mother, my sisters and my brothers are prathmun. WeтАЩre
untouchable, degraded, invisible. Am I getting through that thick northern skull yet?тАЭ

тАЬWhy?тАЭ asked Tris, curious now. This was far more interesting than a simple answer to her question.
тАЬWhy should prathmun be those things?тАЭ



file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Tam...-%20Circle%20Opens%204%20-%20Shatterglass.htm (2 of 187) [11/1/2004 12:16:37 AM]
 file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Tamora%20Pierce%20-%20Circle%20Opens%204%20-%20Shatterglass.htm

The girl sighed, and rubbed her face with her hands, smearing more dirt into it. тАЬWe handle the bodies of
the dead,тАЭ she told Tris wearily. тАЬWe skin and tan animal hides. We make shoes. We take out the night
soil. But mostly, we handle the dead, which means we defile whatever we touch. If you donтАЩt move along
and a giladhaтАФтАЭ

тАЬWhat?тАЭ asked Tris.

тАЬOne of the visible people,тАЭ replied the girl. тАЬIf they see you talking to me, theyтАЩll demand you get