"Mitchell Smith - Moonrise" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith Mitchell)

wind... then sailed its first wide ascending spiral. It was the last I saw of Sam Monroe, looking up in the
company of his officers, all still dressed in their wedding finery, leathers, jewels, and velvets, their veteran
sword-scored armor polished to shining.
I have been to weddings, since тАФ Boston taking contractual matters very seriously and in
celebration, so we march through frozen Cambridge singing тАФ but have been to no such wedding as Sam
Monroe's and his Princess Rachel, where sadness and joy were so mingled that the ceremony seemed the
very mirror of our lives.
From Early Years, the Memoirs of Patience (Nearly-Lodge) Riley

Property of Boston Township Public Library.
Removal or disfigurement is a CAPITAL OFFENSE.




CHAPTER 1
Someone chased with a sense of humor.
A hunting horn winded along the river's bank. The hoofbeats following those notes came cracking
through the last of Lord Winter's fading snow and puddle ice, fell softer over mud. Someone called тАФ
perhaps a name, perhaps an order.
These were Heavy Cavalry reservists, unsuited to rough-country chasing, which was certainly why
Bajazet was still alive, light Cavalry, light Infantry, would have filtered here and there until they had him.
It was a blessing of both Blue Sky and Lady Weather to have gifted him with terror enough to
smother sorrow, so he could lie trembling beneath a frozen log, fallen to rot years before, thinking more of
staying alive than remembering the king, his Second-father, and his Second-mother, Queen Rachel.
Remembering Newton тАФ named for a royal grandfather тАФ and his brother in all but blood.
It seemed to Bajazet, lying hunched in puddled ice under frozen wood, that the true world had been
taken from him, with only this desperate dreamed one left. And the taking accomplished in only a day. He
heard the hunting horn again... but distant.
Newton, a year younger, but bigger, stronger, kinder тАФ older in every important way тАФ had seemed
indestructible as the king had seemed indestructible. Prince Newton, only nineteen years old, but already
with endless hours spent in tedious councils, and study with ancient Wilson, while Bajazet, even quite young,
was amusing himself in Natchez brothels... also amusing himself puncturing, though not murdering, less
accomplished swordsmen тАФ husbands, for the most part. This, until the king, one day, came into the salle,
gestured the bowing Master aside, chose two fighting rapiers from the rack... tossed one to Bajazet тАФ and
attacked to wound or kill him.
They'd fought across the slippery oil-puddled floor, until the king parried a desperate thrust in quarte,
reposted... and, during what had seemed recovery, reversed and ran Bajazet through the left shoulder.
Then, the king had stepped in to disarm тАФ breaking Bajazet's right wrist тАФ and while stepping out, had
kicked him in the groin so he fell, curled in three agonies.
Portia-doctor had done wonders with a short slender iron rod, heated to only dull red. Then done
more wonders with a wrist-splint, and very gradual exercise тАФ Queen Rachel coming, anxious, to stroke
Bajazet's forehead, leave imperial chocolate candies, and a kitten for company. Newton coming to make
jokes . .. play checkers and chess. So that after the so-short summer, Bajazet тАФ then barely eighteen, after
all тАФ had been left with only rapier memories, and an occasional ache in his left shoulder. The wrist was
good as ever.
Healed, he'd encountered the king in the West Glass Garden. Sam Monroe had smiled. "Lessons
learned, Baj ?"
"Yes, sir."
"And what lessons were they?"