"Robert Reed - Night Calls" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reed Robert)

What remained was a ring of dark mountains, and in the middle, a
plain as round as a coin and as flat. The mountains helped keep the country
too dry for crops or trees, and most importantly, those rounded peaks
practically guaranteed that the skies would remain free of clouds. A few
towns were scattered across the wide emptinessтАФjust enough to supply
food and water to the crowds coming from the cities. Every little highway
was jammed with cars. The sun was high and bright, and driving out onto
the plain, Ferrum understood why RabiahтАЩs tribe had picked this location.
He was thinking about the evening to come, anticipation pushing aside
every lesser emotion. But then Rabiah said proudly, тАЬDo you know who
picked this site for us?тАЭ

тАЬYour cousin,тАЭ he guessed.

тАЬI have quite a few cousins,тАЭ Rabiah reminded him. тАЬBut it was Ocher,
yes. Of course it was.тАЭ

тАЬThe cheating husband,тАЭ he muttered.

тАЬWhy donтАЩt you ever say his name?тАЭ

Ferrum replied with a thoughtful silence, and then asked, тАЬHow much
farther?тАЭ

They arrived at the designated location in the early afternoon. Where
a volcanic crater once stood, more than a thousand strangers were building
a busy, temporary city. Men were pitching colorful tents, setting up long
tables, and testing the fires in a hundred big camp stoves. Women were
chatting happily, sweeping out the tents and assembling the beginnings of
the evening feast. Children seemed to be everywhere, and Ferrum was
glad to see them: The adults used their mother tongue, but the youngsters
screamed and complained in the language he knew.
 Ferrum had met RabiahтАЩs parents, but it took him a few moments to
recognize them now. Instead of the drab clothes of business people, they
were dressed in the brilliant robes of their desert tradition, and instead of
being reserved for the sake of propriety, they were outgoing, even giddy.
They greeted both their daughter and her boyfriend with warm hands and
quick kisses. тАЬI was afraid you were going to miss all this,тАЭ the mother
confessed. Her voice was very much like her daughterтАЩs, but slowed by an
accent that made her words difficult to understand. Turning to Ferrum, she
asked, тАЬDid you have trouble finding us?тАЭ

Ferrum didnтАЩt want to mention oversleeping, since that might bring up
the matter of sharing one bed. So he offered a simple, pragmatic lie. тАЬItтАЩs
my fault. I took a wrong turn at Damp Sand.тАЭ

тАЬYou did not,тАЭ Rabiah snapped.

Ferrum hesitated.